Altered Rebirth
by fakestdragon
Summary: Jack Mcgrath was your average college student, but then he was killed and reborn in the world of Pokemon. Things were looking up for Jack as he planned to have the pokemon journey he had always dreamed of, until a mad scientist experimented upon him for personal gain. Changed for better or worse, Jack is still determined to go through with his journey (M violence, language, sex)
1. Chapter 1

_Chapter 1: Introduction and Unwanted Experiments_

 _It was a normal brisk day in the city of Seattle. People would walk along the busy sidewalks and crowd the streets with their many vehicles, all expecting to get from one place to another._

 _With the time being late in the afternoon, many of these people were either headed home or to a gathering spot where they could gather with friends or acquaintances for one reason or another, whether it be just to grab some coffee or to discuss their latest job for their work._

 _However, amongst all of these people that will have no impact on my story, was me. Making my way to a small and crowded apartment amongst all of these people was a young twenty year old adult, wearing a jean jacket with several buttons upon it, darker blue jeans so I could wear jeans without looking like a walking jean product, and a black beanie._

 _I was your typical college student, going to one of the local colleges to get my degree in… well, it's been so long at this point that I can't actually remember, and it honestly doesn't matter. Either way, I was just like most other people around my age there: just an honest guy trying to survive in the modern world, and was currently doing so by going to college._

 _Now, when I say your average guy, I really mean average. If you looked in the dictionary for the word "Average", I'd probably be the picture. But then again, I'd be the dictionary definition of "Average", so I wouldn't really be that average and….I'm getting off track._

 _Being five foot eight, average height. Having brown eyes and hair that wasn't too short but not too long, I was considered normal there as well. My body wasn't muscular, but wasn't fat, it was just in between. And finally, my face, which showed my youth along with many long nights staying awake due to either video games or homework was plain as well._

 _Now, I know you're probably wondering why you would want to read the story of a guy who is average in every way possible, seeing as you're probably here for some kind of life-changing adventure or something to read and keep you awake a bit longer._

 _Well, as stated before, this day had started normal. But then, everything changed (cliche, right?)_

 _My name is Jack Mcgrath, and this story starts with how I died._

 _Well, with you now either intrigued or frustrated with the fact that my story is going to be another of those "reborn in another world" types of stories that anime and manga love to attack, I guess I'll just get started with my story._

I was walking down yet another crowded street, hating how my shoulders would occasionally bump into one person or another. I didn't really like physical contact, so I tried my best to get through the crowds, but that's easier said than done.

The reason I was walking down said street was because I was heading home to my small single person apartment. I had finished the day of schooling at college, having spent some extra time to study. By the time I was walking down this street, the sun was just beginning to set over the horizon, though I couldn't really see it as it was blocked by the many tall towers of Seattle.

There was only one problem with walking home from school: It was a three mile walk. However, no bus came close to my apartment building for one reason or another, so every day I had to make the long walk twice.

Well, today, since I was feeling tired, I decided to try a shortcut, There were a few long alleyways that if I cut through, I could cut my walking distance almost in half. However, I'd always been paranoid of those alleyways, for good reason, as it was usually where crimes would occur.

However, having had a long day, I decided to just attempt it. However, a part of my mind was still paranoid about the whole thing, so I pulled out my Nintendo 3DS to keep my mind off of it. As I started to go down the darkening alleyway, the screen lit up as I selected the downloaded copy of _Pokemon Ultra Moon_.

Now, I know you're probably thinking "What kind of college student plays pokemon?" Well, a lot surprisingly, but I'd like to think I'm special.

I always enjoyed pokemon growing up, with my first game having been fire red for the gameboy advance. From there, I had grown up with the franchise, always getting at least one version or the other when the new games released.

Lately, I had been playing _Ultra Moon_ , even though I had already beat _Pokemon Sun_. The reason was because I was curious of the changes, and with the latest games since _X and Y_ , the story had been much better, giving me something more to enjoy than just battling pokemon.

When it came to actually battling though, I was considered very good at what I did. Sure, I wasn't the best by any means, and would never enter any of the official (or unofficial) tournaments. I didn't know much about ev's or iv's, but I did know almost everything when it came to strategy and type advantages.

My team gave me a little bit of everything, as I was currently nearing the end of the game. With my team consisting of six pokemon, each dual types with the only type appearing twice being dragon, I had eleven of the eighteen types covered, and could be effect to all of them as well, as long as the right pokemon was battling at the time.

With this in mind, I proceeded to go do the game's champion challenge, the equivalent of the elite four in past games. However, as I walked both in game and in life, I failed to notice the hooded figure approach me from behind a large trash can I had passed.

One minute, I had entered the battle arena to fight the ghost leader, the second, I felt a burning sensation in my back, right along my spine.

Falling to the ground, all I could focus on was the pain as blood began to spill from me onto the ground. I couldn't move, and I wasn't certain if it was because of the pain or if my spine had been severed. Either way, all I could do was stare wide eyed on the ground as the figure bent down towards me.

I could feel the sensation of him moving me around, reaching through all my pockets so he could grab ahold of my wallet and phone. Then I could hear him running off, leaving me alone to myself and the pain as the sky, and everything else, began to darken.

As everything went dark, the last thing I saw was my DS suddenly grow brightly before everything went dark, as the sun finished setting along with my life ending.

Everything was black for a long time. I couldn't really think, all I could focus on was the sensation of floating around aimlessly through the abyss.

However, after a long time had passed, things started to form in my vision. Floating objects filled my vision of the large, now dark blue, abyss. As my eyes blinked open, I realized these shapes weren't just boxes or something, but were actually small islands.

I jerked upward, confused as to where I was. Looking down at myself, I found that I was in the same outfit as before, and that I seemed to be alright. However, looking around only confused me more.

The sky was too dark a blue, and the floating islands wasn't normal at all, especially concerning there was a waterfall running sideways.

 _"Wait a second."_ I thought to myself. " _I have seen this place somewhere before…"_

" **Indeed you have, young one."** A powerful voice spoke from behind me. I spun around, only to be greeted by a semi-awesome semi-terrifying sight. Before me was a giant, snake like creature that was grey, red and black, floating before me with two red eyes staring down at me with compassion through its yellow mask.

" **Do not be afraid, young one."** It spoke, in which I suddenly felt a bit at ease. " **I have only taken this form as a way to speak to you, as well as transforming your limbo into something you would recognize."**

I nodded slowly, somewhat understanding what was happening. "So...so I died. I died and am now in limbo, which you made to look like the distortion world from pokemon. And since you're taking the form of Giratina, that means you're…"

" **Lets just say I'm a higher being, and not go into details.** " The Giratina said. **"There are too many names for me, and we don't have much time to speak. We must pass you onto the next life so I may continue my duty to the many others who have shared similar fates such as yours."**

I nodded, letting the Giratina speak. " **Now, I will present you with two options. I can either grant you eternal peace, letting your spirit pass onto the next life and fill your being with bliss and eternal slumber. This is what normally occurs."**

"But you're going to present me with another option?" I asked, confused.

Giratina nodded. " **Yes. Instead, you could go to the pokemon world, and attempt to have an adventure of your own.** "

I was shocked, not knowing how to respond as Giratina continued. " **You did not fulfill much in your life, considering yourself too average to ever have an adventure of your own, and so you held adventures through the games known as Pokemon. Now, I present you with the option to go there."**

For a moment, I almost screamed yes, to have Giratina take me to the Pokemon world, However, they held up a tendril, making me stop. " **However, the Pokemon world is not as simple as you may believe. Crime is still rampant, just like in your world. Wild pokemon can be dangerous, and the most powerful moves such as hyper beam could kill you instantly."**

Suddenly, I felt unsure about my decision. But once more, before I could speak, Giratina continued. " **If you were to choose this option, I would grant you protection for a single month. For thirty days, you would be able to explore the pokemon world without fear of death, so long as you don't do anything foolish such as jumping into a volcano."**

I stood there, dumbfounded. Here was what was possibly a god (or the God, as they didn't go into details) in the form of a Giratina, giving me the option to become an actual pokemon trainer, and with no fear of death for a month, which would give me enough time to learn how the world functioned.

" **I know this may be a difficult decision, so I am willing to give you as much time as you…"**

"I'll do it." I said, looking up at Giratina. "I'll go to the pokemon world."

Giratina nodded. " **I thought you would make that decision."** The distortion world began to fade away, and I began to feel really tired as my eyes started to shut. **"I wish you luck, young Jack, and hope you will find the adventure you've always been searching for."**

 _ **line break~**_

I began to wake up to the sounds of the ocean. My eyes started to blink open, getting crust out of my eyes as I woke up. Feeling around, I could feel sand underneath me, and just like before, shot up, awake and confused.

" _Where am I?"_ I wondered, looking around, I was on some kind of beach, with a wall of rock behind me. The beach ended to my right, but continued around a corner to my left. Standing up, I began to wonder how I got here.

Walking to the left, I began to wonder if I had somehow gotten to one of Seattle's beaches, or if by slight chance the dream with Giratina had been real. Man, that would have been awesome, to find out I had actually been taken to the Pokemon world.

As I turned around the corner, I stopped, shocked at what I saw. There were several people on the beach, even though it seemed early in the mourning judging by the sky, but they weren't the ones I was focused on.

No, I was focused on the two people who were standing across from one another, and more importantly, the Rockruff and Magikarp that were battling. As I watched, the Magikarp flopped around aimlessly, performing splash, as the Rockruff ran forward and tackled the Magikarp, sending it flying through the air.

As the battle ended, with the defeated fisherman giving the kid with the rockruff some money, I turned back around the corner, unsure of how to react. It had really happened, I was in the pokemon world, and judging by the beach and the Rockruff, I was probably on an island in the Alola region.

I stood there for a bit, gathering my thoughts, unsure of how to react. Finally, after having a mild panic attack while also freaking out from joy, I decided that I needed to get some information.

Walking around the corner, I was unnoticed as I made my way to a walkway that seemed to lead up from the beach and into a town. Deciding I needed to find either an information center or a pokemon center, I decided to head into the town.

Looking around as I entered a large street, I was surprised by how crowded the place was. People and pokemon were everywhere, astounding me with so many new sights. I watched as two girls giggled, each holding a igglybuff as they ran past. Two officers stood next to each other, a Growlithe and an Lycanroc (day form) stood next to them as they talked. Three boys ran past, each with a pokeball in hand as they ran to the beach I had just come from, screaming that they were ready to battle anyone.

Shaking my head a bit, I continued forward, walking past all the people and their pokemon as I continued to search for any form of information centers. Having decided to go right, I walked a ways before finally coming across what I was searching for.

In front of me was the Akala Island information center. I stood there for a second, realizing Giratina had sent me to the wrong island to start my adventure, before shrugging and heading inside.

Once inside, I headed to the right where a bunch of information packets stood on display, deciding not to go to the front desk and ask for help. For starters, a lot of my questions would probably be common knowledge and I would look strange asking them. Second, I wasn't very social, and didn't like talking to others if I didn't have to.

Going through the packets, I grabbed about five that seemed to interest me, such as "How to Become a Trainer", "The Trainer's Guide to the Alola Region," and even a magazine that talked about current major events.

Sitting in a chair, I began to browse through the information. After about an hour of reading, I began to get a good idea about the world I was in, and it was much different than I was expecting.

Apparently, when a pokemon is caught, they're bound to you for life unless released or their pokeball is destroyed. Pokemon can cause massive damage to a human no problem as well, but when attacking one another, they only cause as much damage as seen in the games. However, carnivorous pokemon still eat other pokemon, and pokemon can still die in battle if the trainers aren't careful.

To become a trainer, I have to go to the trainer's school and pass an entrance exam, in which they'll give me a trainer's card. This card will allow me to use the pokemon centers for free, and be able to legally catch and battle pokemon. This doesn't mean I can't own a pokemon until I have the card, it just means I can't catch one, so children given a pokemon when they're young don't have any issues.

Apparently, pokemon centers were hospitals and hotels as well, allowing you to use them for rest along with going for treatment if you're attacked by a wild pokemon. Medicine was also very advanced, and they could even replace lost limbs if needed, though that's if you are able to make it to a center in time.

With the world as well, there were a few changes than what occured in the games. Sure, ten year olds still managed to stop criminal organizations, but not without the risk of being physically attacked by the grunts unless their pokemon could stop it. As Giratina said, crime was rampant, and even when stopped, it seemed most of the criminal organizations still ran amuck today.

With legendaries, things were a bit trickier. Apparently, they existed, though no one ever caught them. A trainer could still battle a Groudon per say, but that's if in the one in a million chance they found them, and even then, no pokeball was able to capture a creature that held the power to change the land and sea.

With all this in mind, I decided I needed to get to Melemele island, so I could get my license and become a trainer, and then take the island challenge. After that, I would become champion, but only by name. I would leave the rank as champion to the current champion, that way I could go to another region and become the champion there.

If I could be the first world champion, I would have an awesome several year adventure, just like I had always dreamed of. After that, I might see what I could do about stopping the crime in the world, but at this point, I'm getting ahead of myself, seeing as I don't even own a pokemon yet.

Now, standing at the docks, I realized I had a problem. There was currently no way I could get to Melemele. Apparently, the ship is only free for trainers, and costs 500 for normal citizens. That's the equivalent to five bucks, sure, but seeing as I came here broke, I was out of luck.

"Hey kid, need a lift?" A voice called out. Turning to the right, I saw two people standing atop an older looking boat, one of which was looking at me. They appeared to be sailors, with one putting away some fishing gear, while the other was an older looking man that was wearing a fishing vest. He was the one that had called out to me.

"Um...yeah, I do. Where are you headed?" I asked, unsure how to feel about a random stranger asking to give me a ride. However, maybe things were different here in this world, and even with crime being high, people were still nice to one another.

"Melemele Island." He said. "We just came here to stop for some gas after having spent a week fishing. We're heading back home now, and asking any none trainers for a free lift. So, you interested?" He asked.

Thinking that my luck had finally turned around, I smiled and began heading to the boat. "Sure, a ride to Melemele would be very appreciated." I said before holding my hand out. "My name's Jack."

The man took my hand before giving it a firm shake. "The name's Rook." He said, grinning down at me. Suddenly, for a moment, I felt very uneasy, as if something about his grin seemed...off. However, I wasn't going to deny a free ride to where I needed to go, so I hopped onto the boat and sat in a cushioned seat, waiting to depart.

I didn't get to really see the other man, as he sat in the driver's seat and stared straight ahead. However, as Rook finished untying the boat and called out that it was time to go, I saw a brief glance at his face as he turned and nodded.

His expression was completely dead, with no emotion, and he had a scar on his face that passed over his right eye. I shuddered to myself as the boat launched off, thinking that I would get away from Rook and the other man as soon as the ride was done.

After we were about five minutes out, with Akala island becoming a dot along the horizon, Rook turned to me with the same grin as before.

"Why don't you go to the lower level of the boat and talk to the other passengers? I'm sure they'd love to have some extra company."

I was confused, wondering how this boat had a lower level, before Rook gestured to a door that led downstairs. Shrugging, and since it was his boat, I complied, heading to the door and opening it, before freezing in shock.

Before me were several people, laying on their sides, tied up and gagged with rope. I had no time to react before hearing Rook say, "Here's hoping you'll be a good catch." Before something hit me in the back of the head, and everything went black as I fell forwards.

 _ **~Line Break~**_

I woke up without having gone to sleep for the third time that day, though this time with a horrendous headache. Pain echoed not only through my head, but also my body, as if I had fallen down a staircase.

Trying to think about what was happening, I remembered what happened and realized I probably _had_ fallen down a staircase, after Rook had knocked me out. Shaking my head, I opened my eyes, only to be greeted by a blinding light as I did so.

I tried to shield my eyes from the light with my hand, only to realize I couldn't move it. Looking down, I saw that it was tied down by a belt, along with my other arm and my legs. This kept me completely immobile, unable to move off the table I was strapped down to.

Beginning to seriously panic, I proceeded to call out for help, as any rational panicked person would do. "HHHHEEEEELLLLPPPP!" I screamed out at the top of my lungs.

"Don't bother screaming. This room is a hundred feet underground and soundproofed. Nobody is going to be able to hear you." A familiar voice said, before Rook stepped out from the side.

"Now I know what you're thinking. "What's going on? Why is this happening to me? What could Rook want with me?" Well don't worry kid, this is nothing personal about you." He explained.

"I'm not actually a fisherman, as you might have guessed. I'm a researcher of sorts. I conduct experiments that, if successful, I sell to the highest bidder. It just so happens that I needed guinea pigs for this next experiment, and then, after finding a few other participants, you stumbled along."

I stared at him, scared and confused. "What….what are you going to do to me?" I asked, fearful for my life.

Rook grinned the same grin as before, though now I could see what was wrong with it. It was a sadistic grin, as if he took pleasure in what he was doing. "I'm glad you asked." He said, before stepping away for a moment before appearing again with a whiteboard. On the whiteboard was a person, along with the pokemon Zorua.

"You see, I'm hoping to fuse you with a Zorua through a process and an invention of my own. If successful, I'll have created the ultimate stealth soldier. Imagine, a soldier who can look like anyone, sound like anyone, and have the defense against pokemon moves just like a pokemon!"

I was beginning to become extremely fearful for my life, and was trembling under my bindings. "A...and if you...you're not successful?" I asked.

Rook stopped for a moment, placing his hand on his chin in throat. "Well, you'll either die, become a Zorua in only body, lose your mind to the Zorua and be mindless, or become a horrible mutation. And who even knows what side effects there could be." Rook shrugged before looking at me with that sadistic grin I now despised. "You ready to find out?!"

I began screaming again as we wheeled me away, the table I was on apparently having wheels. I begged for him not to do this, to just let me go, but none of my cries reached Rook.

As we reached a large silver machine, with two side doors and a central door, I began screaming at Rook with all the hatred I could muster. "Oh, be quiet already." Rook said as I was placed in front of the left side door. "You'll need to save your strength to survive this, after all."

I stopped screaming, now only able to cry, as Rook walked away for a moment, only to reappear with a confused looking Zorua in his hands. Opening the right door, he placed the Zorua inside before closing it, and then turned to me.

"You ready to make history Jack?" He asked as he opened the left door. I could only cry, wondering why this was happening to me. I had come to the pokemon world to have an adventure, not this! Not to become some lab rat for a crazed scientist!

As I was placed inside the dark chamber, and the door closed behind me, I began to wonder if I had actually been sent to hell for some reason. As the room lit up with bright blue lights that began to swirl around, I prayed that I would survive.

" _ **You will survive this Jack."**_ A voice echoed through my head. _**"You have my protection. I will not allow you to die, not before your adventure can even begin.**_ "

After hearing the voice, I yelled at them to save me, to get me out of here instead of insuring my survival. But the voice had gone silent, and the machine began to get louder and louder as the lights swirled faster and faster around me.

I began to feel extremely heavy, and then extremely light, and then extremely nauseous, and then everything went white. As it did so, one last thought passed through my mind, as I thought I had died. _"Giratina lied…"_

 _ **~Line Break~**_

My eyes blinked open, and I could feel I was on the ground. However, I felt so tired, and I didn't want to move. My body felt exhausted, with my arms spread out on the ground, as well as my legs and tail.

….

Tail?

Turning my head, I looked over my shoulder to see a dark grey, almost black tail stick out of me. Huh. I had a tail now.

I knew I should have been freaking out, but I had no energy for it. Instead, I continued to lay on the floor, my mind still in a daze. " _So Rook really managed to succeed, and Giratina did keep their promise to keep me alive. Too bad I'll now be sold off…_

As I laid there, I felt my ears twitch atop my head, alerting me I now had Zorua ears as well, but also alerting me of the footsteps that were coming my way.

"...I'm telling you, I actually succeeded this time! Yes, he's the first to survive the procedure, though I'm not certain of his mental state, or his abilities yet. But the two fused perfectly, and you'll have your first soldier in a week. You'll have to train him yourself, of course. Now, about my pay…"

Rook stopped talking as he entered the room, waiting for an answer. Looking up, I could see him in the room in front of me, but could also tell I was in a metal cage. There was no way I'd be able to get out, not with those bars keeping me in.

" _We can get free though."_ A voice echoed through my head, making my eyes widen a little. _"We can get free and get revenge on that man for what he's done to us. Get up, and I'll tell you what you have to do."_

The voice was quiet, but from what I could tell, a bit feminine. " _Who...who are you?_ " I thought as I struggled to get my body up.

" _I have no name, for I was never given one. However, I am the Zorua that the monster fused with you."_ My eyes wouldn't be able to open wider if I was able to, but it didn't matter as I was now standing. Rook didn't notice though, as his back was currently turned away from me.

" _Good, you do have some strength in you. Now, image all the power inside of you, and rush forwards and release all of the energy gathered at once!"_ The voice said.

I didn't understand what was happening, but I did as I was told. However, as I would later learn, I was only able to do it so easily as I was so dazed, and it would be a time before I would be able to do it again.

As I rushed forwards, I suddenly felt my foot push me back, before pushing me forwards in a feint, with a form of darkness surrounding my being as I slammed into the bars, knocking them forwards and releasing me from the cage.

I stood with my arms to my side as Rook turned around quickly, surprise and confusion on his face. "What the...how are you standing? And how did you break free so easily?"

Taking a step forward, Rook took a step back, unsure of what to do. My head was down, but I could still see Rook look towards an object on the table that was across from him. The object was small, able to be held in one's hand with a good grip, and black.

It was a gun, of course.

At first, neither of us moved. However, the second Rook jumped for the gun, I felt myself rush forwards, and as the voice of the Zorua gave me more commands, I felt more dark energy surround myself as I slammed into the large form of Rook.

If I had slammed into him normally, I probably couldn't have done anything to a large man such as Rook. However, with the dark energy and the attack "Pursuit" echoing through my mind, I manage to slam into Rook so hard he flew across the room, slamming his back into the cage with a nasty _"snap!"_.

I stood there for a moment, watching Rook's unmoving form. Finally, after several minutes, he let out a gasp of pain, and I knew he was still alive.

Watching Rook, I never took my eyes off of him as I left the room. _"What are you doing? Go back and finish him!"_ The Zorua yelled.

I shook my head. "I'm not a killer. Never even thought about killing anyone, and I refuse to now." I then turned my head to the left, looking through a doorway in the hall that I was currently in.

Inside was a ton of science equipment, including the large machine that I had been placed into. Thinking, the thought of trying to reverse the process came to mind, but I shook my head at that. I was the first successful experiment. If that was the case, there was no way Rook had any way of reversing what he had done to me.

With this in mind, I turned to a bunsen burner that was on the counter, turning it on, I placed it on the ground, and soon enough, the room was beginning to be covered in flames. Sure, the fire might kill Rook, but it wouldn't be me specifically killing him, and it would destroy everything he's done.

Leaving the room, I continued to seek a way out. Looking room to room, I was disgusted as I saw the corpses of people, pokemon, and monstrosities that were failed experiments. Shaking my head, I knew there was nothing that could be done for them, and so I continued on.

Finally, near the end of the hall, was an elevator. However, next to it was a set of cubicles, each with a name on them. Looking around, I eventually found my name, along with all my clothes. Looking down, I realized I had been naked this whole time, and proceeded to get changed.

My shirt, jacket and socks were no problem, however, I had to wear my underwear and pants a little lower, but not too much thankfully, because of my tail, and I couldn't wear my beanie without crushing my ears.

Sighing, I looked through the other cubicles. There were four other names, with them being the four other kidnapped people I had seen on the boat. Looking through them, I soon took the contents of several wallets, knowing they wouldn't need them anymore, and keeping it all in a simple brown wallet that was owned by some guy named Joseph.

I then stopped as I was rummaging, even though I was beginning to smell smoke. My eyes stopped atop a pokeball, the only one in all the cubbies, and I wondered if it was right to take it. However, I decided to, as I couldn't in good mind leave a pokemon to die.

Taking the pokeball, I got up, having gone through all the cubies. Looking back, I looked at the one that held the pokeball. "Thank you Sara." I said, before going into the elevator.

As I clicked the number one of the door buttons, the elevator doors closed and I could feel it rising. As it rose, I thought of something: How was I going to be able to walk around normally now? Currently, I looked like a furry or something, and if people realized that the ears and tail were real, who knows what would happen.

" _You can use my powers of illusion to conceal yourself."_ Zorua said. " _Imagine yourself as you were before, without my ears and tail. Now, think that you are as you used to be with your heart and mind."_

I did as they said, closing my eyes and thinking about how I used to look. Opening them, I found that my tail appeared to be gone, as well as my ears.

" _It's just an illusion, of course_." Zorua said. _"Your ears and tail are still there, and if anyone were to feel them, they'd know something is off. Also, if something were to hit you, your concentration might shatter along with the illusion."_

I nodded as the elevator opened, revealing a run down entrance room. Stepping out of the elevator, I walked out the decaying wooden door.

Looking around outside, I found myself along the coast of an island. Looking behind me, I could see the rotten ruins of the building I had come from covered in trees. Deciding I wanted nothing to do with the place, I walked away, unsure of where I was going.

I walked for what was possibly an hour along the beach, unsure of where I was headed. However, after enough time, I felt like I was finally far enough from the nightmare I had just escaped.

As Wingull flew over my head, I passed out on the beach, getting the first natural sleep I had been able to get since I had died.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2: Awakening and Greetings to the Life of a Trainer_

 _Have you ever had those dreams that feel so real, that when you wake up the next day and remember the dream, you can't make out if it actually happened or not?_

 _As an example, after having fallen unconscious, I had a strange dream that felt more like a memory, yet at the same time, it wasn't. In the dream, I could feel, smell, see everything around me as if I had actually experienced it, and yet, I know that it never happened, at least not for me._

 _I remember being in some tall grass, and by tall, I mean it stood over my head as I ran through it, trying to get away from… something._

 _My chest hurt as I had been running, and all four of my feet were sore. However, as the ears atop my head twitched from a noise somewhere behind me, I knew that what I was running from was still somewhere behind me._

 _Taking a deep breath and gathering the last of my energy, I rushed forward once more, knowing I wasn't too far from my home. Once there, my mother would protect me, and then we would both be safe once more._

 _Finally, as my chest burned and I thought I would collapse from sheer exhaustion, I exited the grass, with a small clearing in front of a cave revealed to me. Nobody but my family knew of this cave, however, as it had been hidden by the surrounding trees and grass for years, and was nowhere near any of the human paths._

 _I rushed into the cave, calling out for my mother with the last of my breath. Right before I woke up, I saw two eyes staring at me through the darkness. The eyes were a familiar light blue, yet at the same time I had never seen them before._

 _"These are not your memories to see." A female voice echoed through my mind. The eyes widened sudden as the voice shouted "BEGONE!"._

 _And then I was plunged from the memories, or dream, or whatever it was, as I suddenly woke up._

 _ **~Line Break~**_

I sat up suddenly, gasping for breath at having woken up so quickly. As my heart raced, I stared down at my legs, trying to gather my thoughts.

 _"What was with that strange dream?"_ I thought to myself. I had never experienced a dream so...lifelike before, as if it was a memory and not a dream.

 _"That was a memory of mine."_ The familiar voice of the Zorua said in my head. I flinched when they spoke, having momentarily forgotten my current situation. As I remembered everything that occured, they continued to speak.

" _I hope you do not see my memories on a regular basis, but seeing as we are trapped together for possibly the rest of our lives, we might as well get used to one another. Now, before we try talking more, maybe we should focus on why we're suddenly in a building."_

When the Zorua mentioned this, I looked up, realizing they were right. I was now inside a building, a wooden one with dark and light colored wood making up the interior. Looking around, I could see I was on a makeshift bed made of blankets that was right next to a window and the front door.

Looking at the interior of the building revealed a small kitchen area, a small upper area that could be reached via ladder, a few small bookshelves, a massive fish tank, and finally, a stairwell that seemed to lead downstairs.

Right as I looked at the stairs leading down, I could hear footsteps heading up them. Or at least, I thought I did. It took a minute for them to get to the top of the stairs, and as I wondered if they just had a ton of stairs, I realised my new hidden ears were probably for more than just show.

As the figure reached the top of the stairs, I realised I knew who this was, and where I was. When they turned the corner of the stairs and faced me, I saw a large genuine smile on the face of the man before me.

Standing taller than me with tanned skin, a lab coat, bright green shoes, grey shorts, no shirt, a white hat with a rainbow on it, and a goatee that grey from his chin under his long sunglasses, was the Professor of the Alola region, Professor Kukui.

" _How do you already know this man?_ " Zorua asked, but I ignored them for the time being as Kukui stood in front of me and did the signature Alola greeting.

"Alola! Glad to see you're awake! When I found you passed out on the beach near my lab earlier, I had grown quite worried, especially since you're the second one to do that now!" Kukui grinned down at me. "Oh, I nearly forgot! My name's Professor Kukui, pokemon professor of the Alola region!"

I smiled sheepishly at the professor, a tad unsure how to feel. After all, even though he seemed like a nice guy, and he had always been nice in the games, I had just been through a lot, and wasn't feeling very trusting of others at the moment.

Still, I decided to hold out my hand, which the Professor shook. "My name's Jack." I told him, though coughed afterwards, with my throat being severely dehydrated.

When I was done coughing into my hand, I looked up to see the Professor holding out a bottle of water that he had gotten from...somewhere. I thanked him, and eagerly gulped down the water as he proceeded to speak.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Jack. Wish we could have met differently, but I'm always willing to help those that need it!" I was halfway done with the water bottle by this point, as the Professor suddenly held an uncertain expression upon his face. "Now, I don't mean to be rude, but why do you have a Zorua's ears and tail?"

I spat out the water that was in my mouth, almost choking on it for a second, before reaching atop my head and looking behind me. Sure enough, my illusion had ended, probably when I had fallen unconscious on the beach.

Sighing, I looked up at the Professor. "It's a bit of a story, one that just happened before I fell unconscious on your beach." I then proceeded to tell Kukui what had happened to me, at least, everything about Rook and experiment. I kept out certain details, such as the Zorua in my head, and how I had almost killed Rook and left him to die.

While I was speaking, Kukui had sat down, and a serious expression had overcome his face as he looked deep in thought. Finally, having finished, Kukui nodded, got up, and walked away.

I sat there silently for the moment, unsure of how to react. I had never seen the Professor look so serious in the games, and I was honestly concerned about what was going to happen next.

 _"What do you mean by "games"? And why did you tell the strange man so much? For all you know, he could be working against us, and is just trying to earn your trust."_

Shaking my head and wondering how I ended up being fused with the most paranoid Zorua in the world, Kukui approached me again, still looking serious. "I just finished making a few calls. My team is going to begin doing research on this Rook and his experiments, to see if we can do anything to help you. Meanwhile, the police are going to visit the ruins you mentioned, though I doubt they'll find anything from the fire you caused."

Kukui sounded a bit disappointed, making me look downwards and unconsciously make my ears go down. Kukui noticed this and shook his head. "Look, I don't blame you for what you did. You went through something nobody should have ever gone through, and wanted a form of revenge. Sure, we could have probably gathered something from Rook's research, but what's done is done, and there's no going back on the past."

I nodded, and my ears went back up as Kukui held a had down to me. I smiled and took it as he helped me up to my feet. I wobbled a bit, my legs feeling a bit like jelly, but managed to hold steady.

"So, let's try to focus on something else for the time being while they investigate. You said you came to Melemele so you could register as a trainer, correct?" Kukui asked, and I was a bit thankful for the subject change.

"That's right." I nodded. "I've always wanted to be a trainer, but never had the chance to before." As I explained this, I felt like I could hear a light growl come from Zorua, but ignored it.

Kukui smiled at this. "Well then, I won't hold you back from going to the school! It's not too far from here, and if you really know your stuff, you could be done within a couple of hours! However, you'll need a pokemon with you to do some of the tests. You don't happen to have one, do you?" He asked.

I was about to say no, but then remembered the pokeball I had snagged from the basement of the lab. Pulling it out, I looked down at it. "I do, but it's not really mine. I took it from the cubby where my clothes were. It was owned by someone named Sara who...didn't make it."

Kukui looked saddened for a moment as I stared down at the ball, before taking my hand and wrapping it around the ball. I looked up at him as he explained. "Well, if Sara was a trainer, then I'm sure she would want her pokemon to be strong and stay happy, right? Think you'll be able to do that?"

I looked at Kukui, then back down at the pokeball, before mildly smiling. "Yeah, I think I can."

"Alright then. Go ahead and release them, and let's find out what pokemon is in there." Kukui said, backing up so we had plenty of space to work with.

Thinking back to the games, I pressed the button on the pokeball, causing it to enlarge. Then, hitting it again, I threw it forwards, in which it opened up and released a line of white light, before shooting back towards me so quickly I had no time to react before it hit me in the head, knocking me down to the ground.

As Zorua laughed and Kukui mentioned how I needed to work on my catch, I rubbed my head as I sat up. Looking forwards, I was surprised at the sight of the pokemon sitting and looking confused in front of me, as they were an actual starter pokemon.

"Where am I?" The small, yellow, white and red fox pokemon in front of me asked in the small high pitched voice of a girl. "Where's Sara? Who are you people?" The Fennekin asked.

Kukui looked as surprised as I was. "Wow, a Fennekin! I've never had the opportunity to actually see one in person yet. Sara must have been from the Kalos region. I'll be sure to mention that to the police later."

The Fennekin looked extremely worried at the Professor's comment. "Police? Why? Is Sara okay?! Where is my trainer?!" She frantically asked, turning back and forth from the Professor and me.

"Sara is gone." I said sadly to the Fennekin, making her stop as her head shot towards me. "I'm sorry, but there were this crazy person, who wanted to experiment on others for his personal gain. Sara was taken by him and….she died. I'm sorry for your loss."

The Fennekin looked confused as I talked to her, but her confusion turned quickly to that of sadness as she began to cry and sob on the ground. Kukui and I watched for a moment as she did so, or maybe Kukui was just watching what I would do next.

I edged my way to the Fennekin slowly, before kneeling down and hugging her. She didn't notice, however, as she continued to cry into my jacket. "I know it's tough, losing someone you love." I said. "So take all the time you need."

The Fennekin continued to sob into my jacket as I picked her up, and then turned to Kukui. "She'll probably be like this for a bit. You mind if I sit down with her for a few minutes?"

"Not at all." Kukui said, shaking his head. "You give her all the time she needs. But before you do so, I have a question. Were you able to understand this Fennekin just now?" He asked.

I looked at him, confused as I nodded. "Why, is that not normal?"

Kukui nodded. "Normally, people can't understand other Pokemon. Sure, a few stronger psychic types can use their powers to talk to people telepathically, but normally most pokemon can't be understood. Must be another effect of your...transformation, I suppose."

I thought about this as I went and sat down, wondering what it would be like to be one of the only people who was able to understand pokemon. " _I suppose not everything about what happened to me is so bad."_ I thought as I petted the Fennekin who was beginning to calm down. " _Sure, I'm scarred for life and will never forgive Rook for what he did, but at least there's some upsides."_

After about ten minutes of petting the emotionally distraught Fennekin, she turned her head towards me. "So...so you can understand me?" She asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, I can. I was another of the sick bastard's test subjects, and he fused me with a Zorua." I said, pointing to my ears. "One of the effects of it appears to have made me able to understand pokemon apparently."

The Fennekin looked at my leg as she spoke. "I was wondering why your scent was strange. You have some of the smell of a Zorua, and some of a human, but you don't really have either scent as well."

" _Huh, well that's a strange little fact I'll have to remember._ " I thought. _"Apparently to pokemon, I smell like a Zorua mixed with a human."_

Looking back up at me, the Fennekin asked, "Why did you save me, but not Sara?" She asked.

My faced turned morose as I explained. "When I escaped, Sara was already...gone." That was a light way to say it. Thinking back, none of the complete humans I saw were female, meaning Sara had been one of the deceased mutations I had seen. "But then as I was escaping, I found your ball, and I didn't want you to die in the fire that had started."

"A part of me wishes you had." The Fennekin whispered. "That way I could still be with Sara…" She then looked up at me and gave the smallest fraction of a smile. "But...thank you for saving me."

I smiled back. "No problem. My name's Jack." I said, holding out my hand.

"Ember." She said, putting her small paw in my hand, before laughing lightly. "Sara wasn't good with names, and named me after the only fire attack I knew when she got me."

"I like it." I said, petting her atop her head. "Now, I know this might be sudden, but would you like to come with me on an adventure?" I asked.

Ember looked up at me confused, before I explained. "I'm about to become a trainer here in Alola, and I need a partner before I can start. However, if you don't want to go on a journey so soon, you can always stay here with Kukui, or even be released into the wild if you want…"

"I'll do it." Ember said. "I'll go with you. Sara wanted to be a trainer as well, that way we could both get stronger together. Even though she is gone, I know she'd want me to move on." She said, though the last part was whispered as she stared at the ground.

I kneeled down and hugged Ember, who embraced the hug this time. "Thank you Ember. I know this is hard for you, but I'll do my best to be the best trainer possible for you."

Standing up, I pulled out the pokeball. "Now, do you want to go back into your ball, or do you want to stay out for a little while?"

"I'd like to stay out for now, thank you." I nodded at this as I put the ball away into one of my jacket pockets.

Turning around, I walked over to Kukui, who had made some food while Ember and I had talked. Holding out a plate, I thanked him as I took it and began eating.

"So, how did things turn out with the Fennekin?" Kukui asked.

"Alright. She'll probably be distraught for a while, but Ember here has decided to join me on my journey."

Kukui grinned at this. "That's great to hear! We'll go head out to the trainer school once we're done with lunch."

And so we ate lunch, with Kukui even pulling out a bowl of pokemon food for Ember, who graciously took it.

As we ate, Kukui began telling me what to expect from the school. Apparently, I would have to battle several weak trainers, just like in the game, but I'd also have to answer a questionnaire over several key points about being a trainer.

Most of it I would understand, such as type advantages and what stones caused which evolutions in pokemon, but some I would need to learn about while at the school before taking the test. These questions were more about how to live as a trainer, such as what supplies to buy, where to set up camps, and how much money to ask for when winning a battle, and how much to fork over when you lose.

Honestly, most of it was common sense, and I felt like I could answer all of the questions I would be given quite easily. After all, small children were able to pass this test, so it wasn't like I had much to worry about.

Once we were done, we decided to head out. With Ember at my side and Kukui in front of me, we were ready to head out. However…

"Hey Jack, do you think you'll be able to do anything about your ears and tail?" He asked. "I'm fine with it, since I understand what you went through, but some people might take your look the wrong way and react unpleasantly."

"Yeah, I know they could, and I really don't want that to happen. Give me a moment."

Concentrating, I thought back to when I first hid my new body parts, and tried to focus on my old shape. However, it took me a few minutes this time instead of almost instantly like last time. I didn't think too much on this however, and was just glad I was able to look normal once more.

Kukui looked at me impressed, while Ember looked confused for a moment before swatting at my invisible tail just to make sure it was still there.

"Wow, I'm impressed." Kukui said. "You definitely have Zorua's abilities, that's for certain. Now come on, let's get you to the school so you can get registered as a trainer."

I agreed, and with that, the three of us left Kukui's lab, and began our walk towards school from the Hau'oli outskirts.

Contrary to the games, there was a lot more houses around as we exited from the beach, thankfully with us having not run into any wild pokemon as we did so. The area where your trainer's home was located was much more lively, with several other houses creating a neighborhood of sorts. The same paths were still there as they were in the games, they were just more spread out than before.

As I looked around the houses, one in particular caught my eye. It was the home of where you would begin in the games, though by now it looked a bit different, with no more cluttered moving in boxes around the house.

Kukui noticed my staring, before speaking up. "So you've heard about the home of our champion, huh? Yeah, looks too normal to be the residence of the Alolan Champion, but they insisted that they didn't want anything to really change."

Placing his hands over his head and leaning against them, Kukui seemed to be recalling happy memories as we continued to walk. "Yep, it's been about seven years now since Moon moved in with her mother. I was the Professor back then as well, and introduced them to being a trainer as well. In only a year, they managed to become our first champion, and has only lost the title once in all those years, which she won back only a week after."

I was impressed with what Kukui was telling me. After all, defending the title of champion for seven years is quite the impressive feat, especially since she's only lost once.

It also gave me more information about the world around me. Apparently, it had been seven years since the events of pokemon sun and moon, though I still didn't know which legendary Cosmog had become, though since people were walking about during the day, my bet was Solgaleo.

I was also able to determine that Moon would be eighteen at this point, placing her two years younger than me. However, that didn't really matter, but what did matter was that she had seven years of experience. Even if I was to create my perfect team just like in the games, I wasn't sure how I'd do against somebody with that much experience.

Finally, after having walked for a good twenty minutes, we arrived in front of the trainer school. It was almost exactly how it was depicted in the games, standing three stories tall and being very long. To the right of the entrance was a battle field, where two young trainers were currently battling.

I stared at the battle, along with Kukui once we had entered, but not because it was impressive, but because of what was actually occurring. I face palmed, wondering how this could ever actually happen while Kukui laughed and shook his head.

In front of us were to youngsters, one with a Metapod, and the other with a Magikarp. You might already be able to guess what was happening from there…

"Magikarp, splash that Metapod away!"

"Metapod, crush the Magikarp with harden!"

"Use splash!"

"Use harden!"

"Splash!"

"Harden!"

"How did anyone ever let a battle like this come to be?" I asked Kukui, who laughed as we made our way to the entrance to the pokemon trainer's school.

Before we made our way inside, Kukui suddenly stopped, looking as if he had forgotten something. "Ah, wait, give me a second Jack." He said, before pulling out a red rectangle from his lab coat pocket and handed it to me.

"Sorry I only have the old version of the pokedex on me, but Rotom dexs are a bit high in demand and hard to come across. I had this spare though, and it should work just fine for you."

"It's fine. I'm just happy that I have a pokedex at all!" I told the professor, grinning down at the pokedex, which appeared to be the same type as in the X and Y games, meaning I could make calls, check the map, check my pokemon's stats, and of course, check through the information of any pokemon I come across.

Opening it up, I found that I wasn't able to access the dex or stat options yet, as they were currently locked. Looking at Kukui in confusion, he explained.

"You'll have to get your trainer's learning card first." he explained. "That will unlock the current options until you complete all the tests here. Then, you'll need to get Ember's pokeball registered to yourself, and finally, complete all the school's tests. When you have, you'll be given your trainer id which will unlock the dex for you with no problems."

I nodded, and thanked Kukui as we headed inside. We were greeted by the lady working at the front desk, who asked why we were visiting. Kukui proceeded to explain that I was here for my trainer's test.

The front desk worker nodded, before pulling out a clipboard that had a piece of paper on it. "Just fill out that form, and while you take the written desk, I'll print out your learning card. Just fill everything out, then bring it back to me and head upstairs to the second floor, first door on the right."

I nodded, before taking the clipboard and sitting in a nearby chair. Grabbing the pen on the clipboard, I went to fill out the basic information. However, after filling out my name, age and gender, I ran into a problem I hadn't thought of before.

The form was asking for my home address, emergency family contact information, and needed parental permission of some way, shape or form.

As I stared at the form, uncertain of how to answer it, I didn't notice Kukui watching me and seeing my current issue. Walking up and sitting down beside me, Kukui tapped my shoulder to get my attention.

"Jack, I know this might be a difficult question for you, but where's your family currently?" He asked. "I know you said you were on Akala island before everything happened, but nothing before that. And judging from your clothing, which I'm surprised you haven't sweat to death in yet with our weather, you're not from around here either."

I nodded at this last part, thinking about my family. I was surprised I hadn't even thought about them since everything had begun. Sure, we hadn't really talked in a while, but we were still a normal family that cared for one another. What was happening to my sister, mother and father? How had they reacted when they found out about my death?

"It's...complicated." I explained. "They're still alive, but….well, it's a long story and a bit hard to explain."

"There's no need to explain anything." Kukui said. "Here, pass me the clipboard."

I did so, a tad confused at what he was doing. I watched as Kukui filled in his address, along with his number. Finally, he crossed off family permission and wrote "Professor recommendation" in its place, before handing it back to me.

Staring at the board, I looked back up at the Professor as he got up and turned to the door. "My word means a lot around here, so be sure to get that license the first try, okay?" He asked.

I was shocked. Ever since I had met him, Kukui had shown me more kindness than anyone else ever had before. Smiling, I nodded. "Thank you Professor." I said, meaning it.

"Please, call me Kukui." He said, before walking out the door.

Standing there for a moment, processing that Kukui thought of me now like a friend, I wore my smile to the front desk as I handed the information to the front desk worker.

She took it, before looking it over. An expression of surprise crossed her face as she read about Kukui's recommendation, but as she looked up to look at me again, I had already gone upstairs to take my test.

 _ **~Line Break~**_

As several scientists and police officers later searched through the rubble of the burnt building, two sets of eyes watched from a small island not too far away. One was a large, built bald man with a scar across the right side of his face, looking on with no expression on his face.

The other was a stocky man, now forced to sit down as he could no longer move his large legs. He looked on at the officers in anger.

"Look at what that brat did to my lab, after everything I did! He has the strength of one of the most powerful illusion pokemon, and instead of being grateful, he severs my spine and destroys my lab!"

Rubbing his face, Rook looked over to his partner. "Not only that, but the person I sold him to is quite upset about his escape. If we don't get him back ourselves within a week, they'll be coming after us, and it won't matter where we run then."

Motioning towards his partner, Rook was soon hoisted up onto the back of a heavily scarred Salamence. "We must find Jack soon, and when we do, I'll teach him his place under me before we give him away. Now come, we don't need the police spotting us and causing more time to be wasted."

 _ **~Line Break~**_

"I'm telling you, I haven't seen someone so eager to be a trainer since you two came into my lab all those years ago!" Kukui spoke into his phone, which was currently in a three way call with two other participants. "Sure he's a bit older than most trainers when they start, but I'm certain he'll give both of you a run for your money."

"I'm quite eager to meet this Jack." A female voice spoke through the phone, sounding caring though serious. "With how you're ranting about him Professor, I might just take a break for a day just to meet him."

"I would love to meet him to!" An eager young man spoke through the phone. "I could teach him several battle techniques, and which malasadas are best for which pokemon! We should totally plan out a day where we can meet up and do this!"

Kukui chuckled at their enthusiasm, neither of the two having really changed that much in all the years he had known them. "Well, Jack's staying here with me until he's ready to start the island challenge, and even once he gets his trainer's license, he'll still have to go up to to old Hala to get his challenge tag."

"I'd like to talk to Hala about that then, but I'll have to meet this Jack first before I do. I want to see if he really is everything you're saying Professor, though I've never doubted you."

Kukui sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you to call me Kukui? Calling me Professor makes me sound like some kind of old geezer that can't tell if a person is a boy or a girl."

The girl laughed, meanwhile the guy spoke up excitedly. "Well, if you plan out tomorrow to have the day off, we can both meet up with Kukui tomorrow! Then, we can meet Jack, battle him, get his challenge tag, then have celebratory malasada!"

Kukui chuckled, and agreed. Tomorrow would surely be quite the adventure for Jack, though he still had to pass his trainer's test first.


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3: First Battle and New Familiar Faces_

 _I believe that at one point in everyone's life, they go in fully expecting to understand everything about a subject, but then when they're tested on it, realize they really don't know all that much._

 _This could probably be due to how real life is quite more complex and detailed than a video game made for children._

 _However, I still knew enough to get through the thirty question test I was handed, though I can't take all the credit._

 _After answering basic questions about type advantages and weaknesses, along with different status types, I realized that the last ten questions were all scenarios that I held no knowledge about, such as "If all your pokemon have fainted, but you're in the middle of a route with no repels, what is the safest course of action to get to the nearest pokemon center?"_

 _However, even with this dilemma, I realized that I had an advantage that no one else had._

 _I had a pokemon in my head._

 _"_ The answer would be C. avoid all pokemon as best as possible until you can find a fellow trainer who can escort you out." _Zorua said._ "Trust me, I've seen it happen enough times."

 _Shrugging, I answered with C, and soon enough, Zorua helped me with the rest of the questions until the test was finally over…_

"Woot, a solid one hundred percent!" I said, walking out of the classroom with a graded test in hand to bring down to the front desk woman.

" _Yes, and with my help."_ Zorua said. _"With that in mind, I want you to listen to my proposition."_

I stopped walking down the stairs, with Ember looking up at me in mild confusion for doing so. " _And what is it you want to propose?"_ I asked.

 _"Simple, either explain to me everything about yourself, or walk out the front door and don't become a trainer."_

I was silent for a moment, though not through anger, but through some understanding. " _Alright, though it's a bit of a story and I doubt you'll believe most of it. The only reason I'm agreeing though is because we are bonded together and creating a hostile relationship could be detrimental to both my health and yours."_

So I proceeded to explain in my head everything that had happened to me before I wound up fused with the Zorua. At first, she didn't believe me, not liking the fact that her world was technically created as a form of entertainment.

But as I started going into several details about the world and people, she began to realize that either I was telling the truth, or I held an insane amount of knowledge of the world that nobody else had.

The icing on the cake was when I explained that a Skitty could mate with a Wailord. _"Alright, I believe you, just don't bring that up again!"_ She said, before sighing. _"That's one of the most controversial tales for pokemon, due to the size difference, and I doubt any trainers have actually ever tried it."_

I grinned as I was handed a slip of paper, which looked like a printed out version of a trainer id.

Pulling out my pokedex, I placed the paper against the screen as the front desk woman explained for me to do. A moment later, the dex beeped, and the light at the top glowed blue for a moment.

After the light finished glowing, I removed the paper to find I could now access the pokemon and dex functions. Clicking the pokemon portion, I found the familiar six slots, though all of them were empty.

I was confused for a moment, wondering why Ember wasn't there, before the counter woman explained I had to register her ball to the dex.

Nodding, I pulled out the ball and pressed it down against the screen. A moment later, the same beep as before occured, and upon pulling the ball away, I found that Ember was now on the screen.

Clicking her icon, I found that I was given the same stat screen as with the games. Upon inspection, I found that Ember knew scratch, tail whip, howl, and of course, ember. She was currently level twelve, and had the flame body ability.

I nodded, knowing I could work with this. After all, I had actually chosen Fennekin back when I played Y version. I had done so because even though Fennekin has some of the lowest base stats for a starter, they can evolve into a psychic type as well, giving a powerful pokemon that can use both fire and psychic type moves.

Anyhow, with Zorua having an existential crisis in my head due to what I told her, and Ember looking ready for a challenge, I decided it was time to commence the battle phase of my test.

Just like before, there were four trainers I would have to face in combat. Then, I would face the principle of the school, and if I were to succeed, I would be given my official trainer's license.

Looking down at Ember, I spoke up. "So, are you ready for our first battle together?" I asked.

Ember seemed lost in thought for a moment, before shaking her head and looking up to me, nodding. "Yeah, of course I am."

Something about the way she had said that made me worried, as there was tension and uneasiness in her voice. However, I believed that she would be fine, and we went to find our first trainer.

We came across one of the two youngsters from before, as it was the one with the metapod. "Ah, another challenger comes to face the mighty Joey! Well, face me...if you dare!"

I blinked, wondering how the heck he had won, before remembering Metapod could use harden thirty times, while Magikarp could use splash fourty. For those that don't know, once all moves are used, a self damaging move called struggle will occur. Due to this, Metapod was able to take down the Magikarp, though probably was about to faint itself from the self caused damage.

"Mighty Metapod, I choose you!" Youngster Joey shouted, throwing out his pokeball and releasing the previously mentioned green bug.

"Alright Ember, you're up." I said. However, after a moment, I realized something was wrong as Ember didn't come forward. "Ember?" I asked, looking down.

Ember was frozen completely solid, staring wide eyed across at the Metapod. For a moment, I thought she was afraid of it, but after seeing a glint in her eyes, I felt light headed, and fell into a vision.

 _ **~Line Break~**_

" _Come on Ember, take out his Metapod with ember!" Sara yelled, and so I complied. Feeling all the heat inside myself, I released a small amount of flames forward, which connected with the unmoving target of the Metapod._

 _Having only used harden, the Metapod had held high defence. However, this final hit was enough to bring it down, as the Metapod released a groan of pain and fell to the ground._

 _Sara cheered as the bug catcher before us sighed, saying something about it being the "Fourth defeat of the day" as he handed Sara her victory money._

 _Sara jumped around in glee, and seeing her so happy made me happy as well, and so I joined her in her little dance._

 _As the two of us jumped around, I laughed, hoping that we would be able to do this forever…_

 _ **~Line Break~**_

I snapped out of the vision with the youngster yelling something about how his Metapod would destroy my Fennekin with it's harden.

Shaking my head, I realized I had just seen one of Ember's memories, just like I had with Zorua (who I then realised I really needed to name. After all, calling her "Zorua" all the time would eventually get confusing if we ever ran into another Zorua).

Kneeling down, I hugged Ember again, making the glaze over her eyes disappear as she realized where she was. "I know I can never replace Sara." I whispered to her. "But please, help me. You don't need to let go of Sara, in fact, hold onto the memories of her with every battle. Use Sara's memory to make yourself stronger, okay?"

Ember sniffled, before nodding. I let her down, and finally, the real battle could begin as she strode confidently onto the battlefield.

Now, pokemon battles were a lot different than the games, as it wasn't turn based, and was instead real time strategy. That of course didn't matter as Joey was only spewing off the word "harden" over and over again to a pokemon that couldn't even move.

"Alright Ember, keep using ember until that Metapod goes down!" I said, in which Ember complied.

After about two minutes of small bits of flame hitting the Metapod from all sides, it finally fell over, having fainted. Joey cried a bit, shouting that it was impossible for his Metapod to fall. However, he acknowledged defeat, and gave us some reward money and our first stamp showing we had beaten him.

I grinned down at Ember, who let out a victory yell in glee. "So, you ready for the next battle?" I asked.

Ember nodded. "Ready as I'll ever be!"

With that, we went to find the next trainer, who would be our first real battle, as I don't believe fighting a Metapod really counted as a battle.

Coming across a young athlete, we figured that we had found our next battle. "I take it you're here to battle me and get registered?" She asked, proving our suspicions correct.

"That's right." I replied.

"Alright then, good luck, though know that I won't go easy on you." Pulling out a pokeball, she tossed it forwards. "Go Pikipek!"

Surely enough, a small red and black bird with a small sharp beak appeared before us. Nodding, I sent Ember forwards.

"Pikipek, rush forward and use peck!" The athlete called out.

As the Pikipek rushed forwards, I shouted out. "Ember, dodge to the left and use scratch as it flies by!"

Ember complied, and followed my order perfectly. The small determined looking bird couldn't stop flying forward as Amber swiftly moved to the left, before knocking it down with a swipe of her paw.

"Pikipek, get up and use growl!"

"Don't give it the chance, use ember while it's down on the ground!"

Ember complied, and as the small bird tried to growl at Ember, a few small flames rushed forward and hit the Pikipek several times before it fell over to the ground.

I shouted in glee, having now won two battles in a row. Ember shared my enthusiasm, and upon seeing how happy she was, I could even feel a grin come from Zorua (though not sure how she could grin inside my head. It was more of a feeling though than an actual physical smile).

And that's how things went for the next two battles as well. As Ember went up to level thirteen and was almost fourteen, we made our ways up to the principle of the school for our final battle.

During our last two fights, we were up against a Bonsly and an Alolan Grimer. The Bonsly had only taken some time to defeat, with it's high defense, but the Grimer was where the real issues had occurred.

Ember had been hit several times during that fight, and was even poisoned at one point. Thankfully, I had been given an antidote earlier by one of the students I had battled, saying I would need it when I fought this Grimer.

After defeating them and using a potion to bring Ember back to full health (which, just as depicted in the game, was a small blue spray bottle filled with something that made wounds suddenly vanish through the power of advanced medicine), we went upstairs to the second floor of the school.

There, I was greeted by the principle of the school, who smiled at me as I approached. "So you're the trainer that Kukui recommended. I have to say, getting to battle me this quickly is quite the surprise, and I guess I can understand why Kukui wanted you to get your trainer's license."

I smiled. "Thank you, that means a lot. Now I definitely don't want to let the Professor down, so let's battle so I can get that license!"

She grinned at this. "My, so confident in believing you'll win? Fine then, let's do this. Go Magnemite!"

Surely enough, after the grow of light finished, a small metal creature floated in the air before me. To be honest, I was a bit creeped out by the magnet pokemon, as it just stared forward at me with its single wide eye.

"Alright, go Ember!" I said, in which Ember joyfully jumped forward. "Use ember on that Magnemite!"

"Magnemite, dodge it and use thunder wave!"

Sure enough, the metal pokemon swooped to the left and released several waves of electricity as the flames passed by him.

"Ember, jump over the waves and hit him with a scratch!"

Ember proceeded to jump forwards, but right as she reached the Magnemite…

"Magnemite, use tackle!"

The two proceeded to collide in the air, both hitting each other. The two both fell away at each other from being hit, but upon looking at my dex, I saw several things that had also occurred.

First off, Ember had taken more damage than the Magnemite, as it was resistant to normal type attacks. Also, due to its static effect, Ember was now paralyzed. However, Ember's flame body had activated as well, and so the Magnemite was now burned as well.

"Wow, I'm surprised that Magnemite was burned through that attack. But it won't matter now that your Fennekin is paralyzed. Magnemite, use thunder shock!"

As a bolt of electricity headed towards Ember, I cried out. "Ember, try to move to the side and use ember!"

Ember struggled to move, but moved enough just for the bolt to hit the ground beside her. "Magnemite, continue using thunder shock!"

As the Magnemite prepared another shock, it failed to see the several small flames headed towards its body. Sure enough, the flames connected, knocking it down to the ground.

I cheered as Magnemite was withdrawn, while Ember grinned through the paralthysis.

The principle nodded, before pulling out a second pokeball. "I'm surprised your pokemon was able to attack in such a state, though I won't make the same mistake twice. Go, Meowth!"

A moment later, a small smug looking grey cat appeared before us. I quickly pulled out a paralyze heal from my jacket pocket, planning to use it as quickly as possible (once more, given to me for victory over a trainer).

However, the principle wasn't going to give me a chance. "Meowth, use bite!" The Meowth nodded as it rushed forwards, it maw open and ready to bit down on Ember.

"Ember jump back away from Meowth and towards me!"

Ember nodded, but as a wave of electricity came over her, found she couldn't move. As she tried to jump again, the Meowth struck, biting her on her back before jumping away.

Screaming out, I flinched and instead ran towards Ember as I used the paralyze heal. Ember was able to move again, though the damage had been dealt, with Ember about halfway through her health now.

"Alright Ember, rush forwards and use scratch!"

"Meowth, go and hit that Fennekin with a scratch of your own!"

The two pokemon rushed towards each other, each with their claws ready to inflict some damage. However, right before the two connected…

"Ember, jump back and use ember instead!"

Doing so, Ember jumped away right as the Meowth appeared in front of her. It swung its claws at her, but only hit air as small flames hit it from short range.

The Meowth cried out, though it wasn't out yet. "Now, use ember again!" I said.

"Oh no you don't! Meowth, dodge it and use fake out!"

As the Meowth went to dodge the flames that were coming towards it, I saw its feet shift to the right. "Ember, rush to the right and use scratch!"

Sure enough, the Meowth dodged to the right, and as it prepared to use fake out, it was hit in the face with Ember's claws, knocking it down to the ground.

"Now, let's finish this! Use another scratch!" I said.

Ember leapt forward as the Meowth struggled to get up, having been weakened greatly. It was knocked back however as Ember hit, and this time when it hit the ground, it didn't get back up.

I pumped my fist in victory as Ember hooted in joy. The principle smiled as she withdrew her Meowth and approached me.

"I'm quite surprised from that battle. Those were some great tactics, and I've never seen someone guess my Meowth's movements like that. You truly are meant to be a trainer Jack, so I grant you your trainer's license."

After reaching into a pocket, she pulled out a small card. Taking it, I looked to see a picture of myself (which I later learned was taken when I handed in the paperwork from a small hidden camera), along with all of my information.

"Be sure not to lose that, but if you do, you can always get it reprinted at any pokemon center for a small fee. Now, I am a busy woman, so I have some more work to do, but I wish you luck in becoming a trainer."

"Thank you." I said, before shaking her hand and then leaving the trainer's school.

My first mini adventure was complete, and I was officially a trainer now with a real license. However, even though I was happy about this, Zorua wasn't.

" _I don't really like the fact that you are now a trainer, but if it's what you want to become, there's not much I can do to stop you."_

We were currently in the pokemon center, and, upon using my card, I was having Ember getting fully healed as Zorua spoke.

" _Why don't you want me to be a trainer?"_ I asked as I handed the pokemon center nurse Ember's ball after having placing her inside.

" _Because, unlike you, most trainers are filth who only use pokemon for their own personal gain. Many catch them just to try and get further in life, not caring how their pokemon feel. Several even put their balls in storage if they find someone stronger to replace them with, and then they're trapped forever."_

I froze at this, realizing Zorua was right. That's what happened a lot in the games, and it was something I did several times.

" _I refuse to be like that."_ I said, as they handed me back Ember's ball, who I released as we turned to leave. " _I'll treat all of my pokemon as equals, especially since I can talk to them and know how they feel. And I refuse to have anyone locked away like that. It wouldn't be right."_

Zorua was silent as we walked back towards Kukui's lab. Finally, as we hopped over a dirt ledge and headed to the front door, she spoke up. _"Dusk."_ She said.

I stopped, confused. " _Call me Dusk, if I really must have a name. I heard you thinking about it earlier."_

Smiling, I headed inside, and told Kukui the great news.

 _ **~Line Break~**_

Upon learning I was now officially a trainer, especially after having been at the school for about two hours, Kukui decided that we needed to go into town to celebrate (along with getting me basic trainer gear).

After several hours, we had eaten dinner, gotten me a bag full of potions, antidotes, paralyze heals, and basic camping supplies. We then went to the clothing store, and decided that I needed new clothes more fit for the Alolan weather.

At this point, I finally checked my wallet for the first time since I had escaped the underground lab to see how much I was carrying. My eyes opened wide up revealing I held over 100,000 pokemon dollars. I decided to buy my own clothes with this, though it took a while to convince the Professor. Sure, I appreciated everything he had done for me, but I didn't want to have to depend on him for everything, and he had already done so much for me already.

After picking up several pairs of jeans and cargo shorts, along with several black and grey shirts, I went and got a new black and white trilby hat (also known as a fedora). The reason I went with this was so I could cut holes through the top that my ears could fit through.

Upon going into the changing room to try everything on, I saw myself in the mirror and stared. Looking at the mirror, I saw that my hair had changed, and was surprised I hadn't noticed it sooner.

My hair was a tag longer and a bit scruffier, going over where my ears used to be. It had gone from its old simple brown color to the same almost black grey as my ears and tail, and had a streak of red around the center as well.

" _No wonder the professor was able to tell I had Zorua ears and a tail so easily. My hair is basically the exact same as one."_ Finally, upon closer inspection, I realized by eyes had changed color as well, and were now the same light blue as a Zorua's.

Sighing, I thought about using my abilities to make myself look like how I used to, but realized there was no real point in doing so.

I then proceeded to get changed, and upon exiting the store, I now stood in grey cargo shorts, a black t-shirt, and finally my hat which sat upon my head (thanks to the help of Ember and scratch, who cut two small holes that couldn't be seen unless you were looking down at the top of my hat).

Kukui and I then headed back to his place, with the area around us beginning to turn to night.

"Tomorrow you'll have to go up to old Hala in Iki town to get your challenge tag. But before you do that, a couple of friends of mine are going to visit who want to meet you. So in the morning you can probably head out and try to train or catch new pokemon, and then we can meet up again at lunch. Sound like a plan?"

I thought for a second. Two of his friends that wanted to meet me? Sure, it was a bit strange that the Professor was talking about me to other people, but in the end, it didn't really matter, and I held no problems with his plan.

Agreeing, the two of us headed back to his lab, before then going to sleep.

As I fell asleep, I realized that all of this had only happened in two days of me being here so far. Time really doesn't pass as fast as you think it will, doesn't it?

 _ **~Line Break~**_

I woke up late that day, glad to have been able to sleep normally for a change since I had first arrived in the Pokemon world.

Greeting Kukui, we both had breakfast, in which I went out to route one as the professor went to do whatever his job actually entails.

As I went onto the route, I realized two things: One, the route was much larger than I remembered it, just like everything else. After a rough estimation, I realized it would probably take me half an hour to get to Iki town, and that's if I had no interruptions.

Two, battling wild pokemon was a lot different than in the games. First of all, they weren't as frequent. Secondly, many fled as soon as they saw you, instead of rushing forwards to attack you.

Finally, they battled like, well, they were wild. You had no idea which attack would come next, and they would immediately try and attack again the moment they finished their last attack.

Also, when in the midst of a battle, I realized that most pokemon don't really talk, which made sense since they were so focused on the battle. Sure, this meant I might not ever be able to use diplomacy instead of battling all the time, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

By the time noon came around, Ember was level fifteen already, which meant she was only one away from evolving. I was a bit surprised, but seeing as I didn't have any other pokemon to train, it made sense.

Speaking of which, I still hadn't caught a pokemon yet. Not because of a lack of skills however, but rather a lack of interest. We had only really run into Pikipek, Yungoos and Caterpie, none of which I was really interested in having in my team.

Finally, it was almost noon, and I decided to head back to the lab for lunch and to meet these friends of Kukui's. However, as I began to walk back…

"Would you like to battle?"

I turned around, surprised as a confident but happy looking young woman approached me. She was wearing a type of floral shirt that covered most of her figure, along with a pair of white short shorts. A large circular hat with a flower sat atop her long black hair that had two braids on either side, and she looked at me with grey eyes full of hidden energy.

Looking at the woman, I felt like I had seen her from somewhere before, but I couldn't think of where. "Sure, though we'll have to make it quick. I need to go meet up with someone for lunch soon."

The woman smiled as she nodded. "Don't worry, I'll make this quick and only use a single pokemon."

Nodding, I walked away until there was a good distance between us, and sent out Ember.

The woman smiled at this, before pulling out a pokeball and tossing it into the sky. "Go, Rowlet!" She called.

With the pokeball returning to her hand, I was surprised to see one of the Alolan starts standing in front of me. A small green and light brown colored owl stood before us, turning its head left and right.

I grinned, thinking this would be pretty easy with the type advantage. "Alright Ember, rush forwards with a scratch, then use ember!"

The woman just stood there, smiling and not saying anything as Ember rushed forwards. However, right as Ember was in front of the Rowlet, she finally spoke up.

"Rowlet, use ominous wind."

Ember had no time to avoid the attack as the Rowlet flapped its wings with enough power to send her flying back, causing her to hit the ground and take some damage as the dark winds hit her. I grimaced, realizing I had played myself with that frontal assault.

"Alright Ember, get up and run around the Rowlet, and keep using ember while dodging anymore attacks."

Nodding, Ember rushed forwards and started to attack. However, the woman kept looking calm even as the first flames approached her pokemon.

"Rowlet, use fly."

My eyes widened as the Rowlet suddenly took to the skies, easily avoiding the small flames that had been heading towards it.

Ember stopped to stare as well, and as quick as the Rowlet had disappeared, it was back, falling down through the sky and straight towards Ember.

"Ember, jump out of the way, and when it lands, use ember again!" I said.

Running quickly Ember quickly jumped out of the way as the Rowlet crashes into the ground right in front of her, so close that Ember was able to feel the wind pass and crash into her.

Reacting quickly, Ember released more small flames, this time managing to hit the small bird. I cheered, thinking that the battle was over, but soon realized that the Rowlet was still standing, and only looked like it had barely been affected by the attack.

Pulling out my pokedex, I went to figure out what was going on, before seeing the issue, my eyes widening once more. The Rowlet was level 37, and only about an eighth of its health had been damaged by the attack.

"Ember, get out of there!" I shouted, but judging by the smile still across the woman's face, I knew it was hopeless.

"Rowlet, use sucker punch."

Before Ember could get out of the way, the Rowlet rushed forwards, and with a series of blows against Ember, sent her flying across back towards me, thoroughly knocked out.

I stood there, shocked at what had just occurred. Returning Ember, I pulled out my wallet and walked towards the woman, sighing.

"Oh no, there's no need for that." She said, still smiling at me. I looked at her, confused, as I put my wallet away. "I just wanted a battle, that's all. And I must say, I was quite impressed with what I saw."

Now I was even more confused. "But I lost."

She nodded. "And you've learned from it. From that single battle alone, you've now learned to not rush blindly into a battle, especially without understanding your opponent's pokemon. Even then, if my Rowlet had been the same level as your Fennekin, you might've beaten me, as your tactics to surround Rowlet with ember could have worked, especially if you timed a second attack while they're busy dodging the embers."

I was surprised, but what she said made sense. "Oh, before I forget, here, take this and use it on Fennekin. I wouldn't want you to have to be late going to the pokemon center."

As she said this, she turned to her side bag, and proceeded to pull out a max revive. I stared at it once more in shock, starting to think that shock and confusion were the only emotions I'd be able to act upon around this woman.

" _Just who is this lady?"_ I thought as I took the max revive from her. Taking out Ember's pokeball, I pressed the item into the button of the ball, and watched as it was sucked inside (I had learned of this way to use items on pokemon from watching the trainers at the school after having defeated them).

I looked up to thank the woman for the max revive, and to ask who she was. However, upon looking around, I realised she was suddenly gone. " _Just who was that woman?"_ I wondered.

" _I don't know, but something about her was different than most trainers. I could see the respect and care she held for her pokemon, and the way she stood screamed of experience."_ Dusk said.

Something about the battle I just partook in was strange, if not everything about it, but I couldn't focus on it now. Looking at the pokedex, I realized I'd have to run now to get to Kukui's lab in time for lunch.

Sighing, I began running, my bag bouncing up and down on my shoulders as I ran down the path to Kukui's lab.

About ten minutes later, I was panting as I approached the door to Kukui's lab. Upon going to open the door, I could hear several voices talking and laughing together. Figuring it was Kukui's friends, I opened the door and headed inside.

Sure enough, over by the kitchen area were Kukui and two other people, with Kukui standing around making something to eat while the other two sat on benches across from him. However, upon seeing these people, my jaw dropped.

The first was a young man, looking only a little younger than I was. He wore a solid black tee shirt and dark yellow shorts that had orange patterns across it. His skin was darkened, and blackish-green hair that hung down over the sides and was pulled up in a man bun in the back sat atop his head.

Sitting next to him was the woman from earlier, including her Rowlet that was sitting on her lap. However, upon looking at the woman now that she was next to the man, I began to connect the dots as to who these two people were.

"Ah, Jack, glad that you could make it in time for lunch!" Kukui said, before gesturing to the two figures in front of him. "I'd like you to meet my long time friends, Hau and Moon!"

"Alola!" Hau said, making the Alolan greeting gesture with his hands, with Moon doing the same.

I shook myself out of my shock, before returning the greeting. "It's nice to meet both of you." I said, before turning to Moon. "Though Moon and I have already kinda met."

Moon nodded, with Kukui and Hau looking at her in a bit of confusion. "It's true. I ran into Jack on my way here, and challenged him to a battle. I have to say, I agree with you professor. He certainly has potential as a trainer."

Kukui grinned and nodded, meanwhile Hau began complaining. "Ah come on, you got to battle him first? And you didn't even let me see it? That's so not fair Moon!"

Moon and Kukui laughed at this, and I even smiled a bit. By the looks of things, all of these characters acted just like they did in the games, though then again, Moon showed much more life than the silent protagonist she was in the games.

"I'm sorry Hau, but don't worry, you'll get your turn soon enough." At this, I looked at them confused, finally taking a seat as well to get some lunch, meanwhile Hau grinned and leaned back into his arms.

"That's right!" Hau said, before turning to me. "I did some talking to my grandfather, and he's willing to have me be the one you battle to get certified as an island challenger, since there isn't anyone else signing up at the moment. I look forward to battling you Jack!"

I grinned back at the eager trainer. "And I can't wait to battle you as well, though I feel like I might be a bit out of my league. After all, Moon here destroyed me and my Fennekin earlier."

Hau waved my comment off with a chuckle. "Don't worry about that. My gramps is going to let me battle using some of his pokemon, which will be closer to your level. Now enough talking, I'm starving!"

Nodding with a smile, I turned to Kukui, who began handing out plates of food on them. However, as he handed me my plate, I saw a small slip of paper on it.

Taking the food and thanking him, I slipped the paper into my hand and held it beside my leg so I could read it.

" _Hau and Moon are two of my closest friends, and after having known them for so long, I can guarantee their trust. However, it's up to you whether or not you want to show them your abilities, and you don't have to if you don't want to. I do recommend at least showing Moon though, as she may be able to give tips on how to better bond with your pokemon since you can speak to them."_

I looked up at Kukui and nodded, though I was going to think about it first. I mean, it wasn't like there wasn't any reason not to show them, but at the same time there wasn't much of a reason to show them either.

Also, as stated yesterday, I was still a bit paranoid when it came to trusting new people. So I figured I would spend the day with the two, and then make a judgement call at the end of the day.

With this in mind, the three of us finished lunch, and prepared to head up to Iki town for the battle that would allow me to go on the island challenge should I win.


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4: Island Challenge Start and Unwanted Changes_

 _Have you ever found yourself in a situation that made you question how you got here, and thus you think of every action made that led up to said moment?_

 _This can occur for a multitude of reasons, whether the situation be that of great a great occasion or celebration, or you find yourself doing something you really don't want to have to do, or life and death is before your eyes and you wonder if there was anything you could have done to change it?_

 _Unfortunately, for me, it was the last scenario that was occurring, and I began thinking how I had reached the point where my very life and future were depending on the actions I made right then._

 _As I stood on all fours, facing the Salamence that had flames licking out through its jaws, with two crazed men right behind it ready to capture me, I thought about earlier that day, and the events that led to this point._

 _ **~Line Break~**_

We had finally made it up through route one, and were now standing outside of Iki town. For the first time since I had arrived, Iki town was relatively the size as it was in the games, with only ten to twenty viewable houses making up the actual town. Heck, it was more of a village than a town, but that didn't really matter.

Standing at the entrance to the town was a large old man with white hair, shorts and belt, a blue shirt, and a long yellow jacket that draped over his shoulders. His skin was a dark tan, and his hairstyle showed the resemblance he held with Hau.

Hau ran forward and hugged his grandfather, Kahuna Hala, while the rest of us greeted him with the Alolan greeting.

Hala laughed at this, and did the same. "Alola! It's good to see my favorite grandson and his good friend Moon again, along with you too Kukui!"

He then turned his head to me. "Ah, and you must be young Jack, the trainer that Kukui has been telling me so much about!" He said, holding out his hand.

I grinned and took it, realizing how strong a grip he had for his age. "It's good to meet you too, though I'm not really that young. I'm actually twenty, though I know I don't really look it."

Hala laughed, while Hau, Kukui and Moon looked mildly surprised. "Wow, you're two years old than us?" Hau asked. "I thought you were at least seventeen!"

"Well, either way, you're still much younger than I am, so I can call you young all I want!" Hala laughed, before turning around. "Now come, I know how eager you are to get your island challenge tag, so let's go get the ceremony started!"

I nodded, and so the four of us stroad forward further into the village.

Upon going up the stairs, I saw the familiar wooden battle arena. Looking around, I saw several villagers setting up chairs and preparing to get some entertainment through my battle.

Now, apparently I didn't need to actually _win_ the battle against Hau, who Hala had given two pokemon to use. I just needed to prove that I have what it takes to be a trainer, and the strength to take on the island challenge.

I still planned to win, of course. Losing isn't that fun after all.

Stepping onto the arena, with Hau standing on the other side, Hala stood between us and began speaking, showing that the ceremony had begun.

After about five minutes of speaking, asking for the guardian pokemon to watch after us in our fight and so forth, we were finally ready to begin the battle.

"Alright, go Ember!" I said, calling her forth as I threw the pokeball. With a flash of light, Ember appeared on stage, with the crowd mumbling to each other excitedly, as many had never seen a Fennekin before. This time I managed to catch the ball as Hau called out his pokemon.

"Go Pichu!" He yelled, and a small yellow and black mouse appeared before us. I was honestly surprised at how small the pichu was, only being about the size of Ember's head, and I almost died from the cuteness (what can I say, I know cute when I see it, and a small pocket sized Pichu _is_ adorable).

Pulling out my dex, I took into account its level. " _Alright, level seven. This will be easy enough."_

"Pichu, use thunder shock!" Hau called out.

"Ember, jump over it and use ember!" I called out.

Ember jumped over the thunder shock, a lot like she had when we had faced the principal's magnemite. However, as Ember released her signature small flames, Hau grinned.

"Dodge it! Now, while she's open, use thunder shock again!"

My eyes widened as well as Ember's as a small jolt of lightning hit her out of the air, knocking her to the ground. It didn't do too much damage, thankfully, but by sheer bad luck Ember had become paralyzed.

"Alright! Now, keep using thunder shock while they can't move!"

"Ember, try to move out of the way and use ember to the left of the Pichu!"

Ember looked at me like I was a tad crazy, while Hau held a small confused look on his face. However, Ember complied, and managed to move out of the way from another bolt of electricity.

Shooting flames forward, the Pichu dodged to the right, placing her right in front of Ember, who had jumped right to avoid the electricity.

"Now, use scratch to knock them down, then finish it with ember!"

"Pichu, get out of the way and use thunder shock!"

Unfortunately for the Pichu, Ember was faster, and soon enough the Pichu had been knocked onto its back, and then knocked out by Ember's ember.

The crowd cheered from my first victory, loving the tactics I had used. Hau and Hala both grinned, and I could see Moon and Kukui clapping amongst the audience.

Hala withdrew Pichu, before pulling out his second pokeball. "I won't be defeated so easily! Go, Machop!"

I was a bit surprised at this, though it did make sense as it was a pokemon loaned to Hau by Hala. A moment later, a small grey humanoid pokemon stood before us, ready for a fight.

Pulling out the dex revealed it to be level nine, and so I stood ready for its attack.

"Machop, rush forwards and use low kick to knock them down, then use karate chop!"

Remembering Moon's tactic from earlier, I waited for Machop to close the distance between Ember and itself, though Ember was looking a tad uncertain from my silence.

Right as the Machop was preparing its leg for a kick, I shouted, "Ember, use ember, and then scratch!"

The Machop's eyes widened as Ember opened up her mouth, though it still tried to complete its attack. However, Hau was giving it the order to try and jump away, causing the fighter pokemon to try and use its swinging leg to jump away.

This resulted in the Machop falling on its face, which caused it to dodge the ember. I blinked at this, but Ember was already following my second command, and was repeated using scratch atop the Machop's back.

Being pinned down, the Machop could only lay there and take the hits, and soon enough had fainted as well.

The crowd once again cheered, though this time louder than before as I had been victorious. Hau grinned as he withdrew Machop and walked towards me, ready to shake my hand.

"That was a great battle!" He said. "I take it you learned the waiting tactic from Moon?"

I grinned back at him as we shook hands. "Yeah, she used it to deflect my first attack. I take it she's used it on you before?"

Hau laughed before shaking his head. "More times than you can believe. You'd think I would have learned my lesson by now, but then again, I was expecting you to do that rather than Moon. Either way, it was a lot of fun to battle you!"

I agreed, and then stepped back as Hala approached me.

"Jack, I congratulate you on your victory, and would like to present you with two gifts for not only achieving victory, but also proving your worth as a trainer and showing that you not only have the strength to take on the island challenge, but also the heart to look after and care for your pokemon that will aid you in your journey."

"I present you with your your challenge tag. Keep this on your bag at all times, and you'll be able to access any island challenge, as long as it is available to you." Hala proceeded to give me a colorful band, which I thanked him for and tied onto my pack.

"Also, at the request of Kukui as one last gift before you begin your journey, I present you with a Z-Ring."

The crowd began murmuring at this, many being as surprised as I was as I was handed a black and white band, resembling that of a watch though much larger and more sophisticated.

"Normally, we don't give this to every challenger. However, I believe you have proved yourself more than capable enough to wield such a powerful tool."

I thanked him sincerely before placing the band around my left wrist and tightening it. Looking down at it, I could only grin. I would now be able to use Z moves, once I gained a crystal and had a pokemon that matched its type.

"Now, with that, we end this ceremony. Thank you all for coming, and be sure to congratulate young Jack as he takes his leave."

With that, Hala turned around to leave, but not before saying one more thing. "I wish you luck, young Jack, and look forward to our battle. Be sure not to keep me waiting too long!"

"Don't worry, I'll be back here to battle you as soon as I can!" Hala nodded, as if knowing as much, before leaving.

As I walked down the platform's stairs, with Ember right next to me, I was approached by Kukui, Hau and Moon, who were all smiling at me.

"Glad to see you're ready to take your challenge Jack. I wish you luck in your journey, and I can't wait to see how far you've come next time we see each other." Kukui said.

I looked at him, a tad confused. "Where are you going?" I asked.

"I have to go to the lab over on Akala island. My team said they might've found something concerning that…" Kukui paused, glancing over to Hau and Moon, "Incident that occured the other day, and they want me to look it over."

Kukui then reached into his pocket, before pulling out a key and held it out to me. "That's a spare key to my lab, so if you ever need a place to stay, even while I'm away, my home will always be open to you."

I stared down at the key, then back up at the Professor. He had done so much for me ever since I had arrived in this strange new world. He pulled me off the beach, kept my secret hidden, helped me become a trainer, got me a Z ring, and gave me food and a place to stay.

Moving quickly, I gave Kukui a hug before he could react. He looked surprised, as did Moon and Hau, though Moon was smiling at the action.

"Thank you for everything Kukui." I said, before letting go of the hug and stepping back. "I'll be certain to somehow make this up to you one day, I promise."

Kukui smiled back at me, though his smile was softer this time than his usual energetic smile. "There's no need. I was just happy to help someone get started on fulfilling his dream. That's payment enough for me."

Turning around, Kukui began to leave, though he turned his head around and waved to Moon and Hau. "It was good to see you two again, and I can't wait till see get to meet up again in the future. Be sure to treat Jack right before you both leave, alright?"

The two nodded and waved goodbye to Kukui as he left, before turning to me. "Alright Jack, how about we go get some celebratory malasada, my treat?" Hau asked.

Moon bumped him in the side with her arm, a grin on her face. "You're just trying to make an excuse to go eat malasadas again, aren't you?"

I grinned as Hau shrugged, a smile on his face. "What can I say, if I was able to I'd have malasada for every meal! Now come on, I'll race you to the Malasada shop!"

Hau turned around and ran off. "You're on!" I said, running after Hau. I already knew where to go, as Kukui had pointed out the shop to me when we had been in town the other day.

"Hey you two, wait for me!" Moon yelled out, and soon the three of us were making our way to celebrate my victory, and my start on the island challenge.

 _ **~Line Break~**_

After about half and hour, we found ourselves inside the Malasada shop, sitting in a booth. I had gotten there first, somehow being much faster than Hau and Moon, though I suspected it might have been partly due to my changes. (At this point I made a note to begin recording everything that my changes had done to me. The list is as follows.

 _(-Gave me a Zorua's eyes, hair, ears and tail._

 _-Granted me with heightened sense of hearing_

 _-Made me much faster and gave me more endurance_

 _-Gave me the ability to use pokemon moves_

 _-I can understand pokemon_

 _-I have the ability to cast illusion upon myself, like a Zorua)_

Hau actually arrived last, even though he had the head start. Moon had somehow beaten him, though neither of us saw how. One moment, she had been behind him, next she was standing next to me in front of the Malasada building.

After having ordered six malasada (one for me, one for Moon, one for Ember, one for Moon's Rowlet, and two for Hau), we began talking about what each of us would do next.

Apparently, Hau was an actual spokesperson for the Malasada shops of the Alolan region, and he spread the word by being a traveling trainer (which explains why he was paying, as he didn't actually have to pay). He would have to go back on the road soon, and was using this as a day off to visit Kukui and his grandfather.

Moon would have to go back to the pokemon league to accept any new challengers that appeared. She was thankful that Kukui had called her out, as she had been looking for a break for a while now.

I of course was planning to start my journey though, and I was going to start it by looking for a new pokemon. Thinking back to the games, I would like to get a Noibat in Verdant Cavern, as that would eventually get me a Noivern, who was one of my favorite dragon types (dragon flying with a high speed that almost always gives you the first attack. Such a beautiful pokemon).

Finally, our malasadas arrived. Being Hau'oli City, their malasada were of the sweet variety, which apparently had a filling made with sweet berries.

As soon as they were handed out to us by the waitress, Hau immediately dug into his first one. Moon smiled as she took hers in one hand and began taking small bites out of it. Our pokemon went to town as well, digging away with glee.

I however looked at the malasada for a moment, since I had never actually seen what they looked like before (even though they had been a real food back home, I never bothered to look them up). To me, it appeared to be a fried jelly donut, with powdered sugar on the top.

Taking the malasada in hand, I took a bite, and instantly my mouth was filled with the warm, creamy, chewy and sweet taste of the malasada. My mouth watered as I took another bite, and before I knew it, I was already halfway done eating it!

"Glad to see you're enjoying the malasada Jack!" Hau said, having already finished his first one and eyeing his second. "Then again, I haven't met a single person who _doesn't_ like these! I mean, they're made with the freshest fruits and dough, and made using berries that even pokemon can eat!"

I grinned, looking to see Ember was thoroughly enjoying her malasada, along with Moon's Rowlet.

My smiled disappeared suddenly, however, as a wave of pain quickly crossed over my stomach. I hunched over, almost doubling over from the sudden pain.

"You know, a pokemon's happiness can greatly increase if you give them a malasada, but how greatly depends on if you get them the flavor they most enjoy, such as if….Jack, are you feeling alright?" Moon asked me, noticing my expression.

"I'll….I'll be right back." I said, the pain beginning to not only get worse, but it was also beginning to spread.

Getting up from the table, I headed to the bathrooms of the Malasada shop, meanwhile Moon, Hau and Ember watched me with concern.

"Man, I hope he didn't get a bad malasada." Hau said, looking down at my half eaten malasada.

If only it had been as simple as that.

Locking myself into a toilet cubicle, I panted heavily, now beginning to sweat as the pain coursed throughout my body. It got to the point where the pain was so bad, I fell to the ground, now on my hands and knees.

"Wh...what…..is happ...happening….to me…?" I asked to no one, and then cried out as a surge of pain wracked my body to its core, sending me to the ground.

I stared forward with half open, tear clouded eyes, but then noticed something that was happening. My arms appeared to be...shrinking?

Watching in horror, I stared as not only my arms, but my whole body began to shrink down and compress in upon itself. I kept shrinking and shrinking, until I had sunken into my clothes and was the size of a mid sized dog.

Then, my arms and legs began to change, with several pops and cracks making me want to cry out in pain, though I was already too deep in shock to make a sound. It was a miracle I could even stay awake at that point.

Due to all this pain, my ears and tail had reappeared, and unbeknownst to me, the fur from them began to spread across my body, covering me in almost black grey fur.

I only noticed once the fur spread across my arms, and traveled to my small hands that began changing shape as well, turning into small padded paws covered in red fur.

As I stared, my jaw began to ache even more, and I stared down at it in horror as it shifted into a small muzzle, with more of the dark colored fur spreading across it.

Finally, after how much more time passed, the pain faded away, and I was left panting on the ground. However, I managed to gather all of my strength, and forced myself to stand up.

...Or at least, I tried to, but I soon discovered I could no longer walk on two legs, and fell over onto my side.

" _What...what happened to me?"_ I thought, before pulling myself up again, this time staying down on all fours, which felt more….natural at the moment.

Slowly moving forward, taking the time and effort to try and walk on four limbs instead of two, I made my way out of my shirt. Walking over to my pants, I struggled to reach my paws inside and grab my pokedex, as I didn't have any thumbs to grab onto it with.

After a minute of trying, I sighed and instead reached my mouth into the pocket instead, wrapping my jaws around the dex and pulling it out.

Placing the dex on the floor, I proceeded to stare into the reflection of the screen, and found that my assumptions had been correct.

Staring back at me from the reflection of the screen was a Zorua.

" _Not just any Zorua."_ Dusk said, sounding surprised and astounded. " _That's me!"_

I blinked at what she had just said. Sure, it made sense, since I had turned into a Zorua and it would make more sense for me to turn into her rather than a random Zorua, however…

"Does...does that mean I'm now a...a…?" I slowly looked under my legs before having my head shoot back upwards.

" _Yep, by the looks of it you're a girl now._ " Dusk said, sounding even more surprised than before. Meanwhile, my eye began to twitch.

" _First, I was fused with a Zorua and made a hybrid. Now I'm a full Zorua, and a female one at that. And right before I was going to become a trainer too. Alright, I think now is the time to finally have that panic attack that I've been holding out on."_

However, before I could begin to scream, I heard the door to the bathroom open, and a concerned voice speak out.

"Jack?" Hau called out. "Are you alright? You've been in here for a while now and the others are getting worried."

" _Crap!"_ I thought to myself. _"I can't have the others seeing me like this! What would they think! Would they even realize it's me, or would they just see a wild Zorua and try to catch me? I have to get out of here!"_

Looking around, I saw that at the top of the wall behind the toilet was a small window, too small for a person to get through, but if I could squeeze through, I'd be able to get out that way.

Taking a moment to prepare myself, I bent down all four of my legs and prepared to jump towards the window.

"Jack?" Hau called out again, this time knocking on the stall I was in. I didn't have any more time to waste, and so I jumped towards the window, ready to grab onto the ledge and then open it enough that I could squeeze through quietly.

That plan went out the window the same time I did, as I underestimated just how much power I could store into a jump now.

As I leapt forwards, I found myself flying through the air, and then connecting face first with the glass.

With a loud crash, I broke through the window, sending me flying all the way down to the grass on the other side.

I landed horribly on my side, not having any time to try and catch myself as I had just jumped through a window. As I laid there, I could hear a concerned Hau called out, and the sound of a bathroom stall door being kicked open.

Standing up, I began to shake my body side to side, trying to dislodge any broken glass from my fur. _"Dang that hurt more than it looks in the movies."_ I thought to myself, before inspecting myself for any cuts.

Surprisingly, upon inspection, I appeared to only be bruised, and hadn't been hurt at all by the glass thankfully.

Also, after everything that had happened, my Z Ring was still somehow holding onto my wrist. Upon inspection, it had snagged onto my fur when I had changed, and wouldn't be coming off unless I took some scissors to my fur.

After inspecting myself, I heard the front door of the Malasada place open quickly, and heard several pairs of feet coming my way.

Looking around, I saw the familiar tall grass that pokemon like to hide in nearby, and frantically made my way towards it. Standing just a little over my head, it would give me just enough room to hide in without being seen.

Climbing into the grass, I got in just enough that I would be completely hidden, but at the same time I'd be able to see the building in front of me.

And not a moment to soon, as Hau, Moon and Ember came running around the corner towards where the window was. "I just don't get it!" Hau said, holding onto my bag which now had my clothes stuffed inside it. "There's no way Jack could have gotten through that window, it's just too small! And why would he leave all of his stuff behind?"

"I don't know, but something isn't right about this." Moon said, looking extremely serious for the first time since I had met her. "Jack seemed too serious about his upcoming journey to do anything like this. Something must have happened to him, though I have no idea what might have happened just now."

"Maybe it had something to do with when he left?" Hau said. "He looked like he was in pain when he went to the restroom. Maybe something happened that way?"

Moon shook her head. "Even if that's the case, we don't know what it could be. We should split up and begin searching for him. You go check by Kukui's place, see if he's there. I'll start looking around town for him." Looking down, she noticed Ember, who was looking quite depressed. "I'll keep Ember with me, in case we find him."

Hau nodded. "Alright. I'll be sure to call you once I get there." With that, Hau began running off around the building and towards the street, meanwhile Moon was shaking her head.

"Just what happened to Jack?" She mumbled to herself, though I was able to hear it just fine with my large ears.

As she looked down at the ground, Moon noticed something. "Maybe it has something to do with these tracks." My eyes opened wide as she looked towards the tall grass I was in, before looking back at Ember. "Come on...Ember, was it? Let's go find Jack."

Ember nodded as that two began running towards my position. I proceeded to panic, and turned around, starting to run away deeper into the grass.

"Hey, you in the grass! Stop right there and tell me where my master is!" I heard Ember yell, and I could tell she was gaining on me. After all, she had more experience running on all fours than I did, and could run much faster.

" _Imagine it like how you used to run. Now, act as if your front legs are your first leg and your back legs are your second leg, though be sure to keep enough space between them so that you don't trip."_

I followed Dusk's advice, and soon found myself running much faster than before. However, upon looking ahead, I realized that I was running out of grass, and was approaching a clearing that had two gates on either side that led to the streets.

Knowing I needed to get out of here, I began running to the right, planning to lose them by running through the busy streets of Hau'oli city.

Upon reaching the clearing, I prepared to leap up and over the fence. Bending my legs, I hopped forwards, sending me flying through the air.

"Is that a Zorua?" I heard Moon call out, still running after me. "What's a Zorua doing in Alola?...Ember, wait!"

Upon landing on the street, this time only stumbling as I landed, I took a moment to take a glance behind me, and cursed under my breath as I began running through the streets.

Ember had leapt over the fence as well, and wasn't planning on letting me escape. Moon however had to take the time to go to the fence gate to exit the clearing, which would at least allow me to get away from her.

Zigzagging around people and pokemon alike, running under vehicles and around buildings, I soon found myself gasping for breath, not knowing if I had escaped Ember or not.

I found myself in an unfamiliar clearing surrounded by trees and buildings to my left and right. It was a dead end, unless I wanted to brave the forest that stood in front of me.

However, as I panted for breath, I felt something suddenly on my back for a brief moment, along with Ember screaming out "Gotcha!" as we proceeded to tumble and roll around on the ground.

Ember stared down at me, panting for breath as she pinned me to the ground, the sun beginning to set behind her.

"Now...you're going to tell me….where my master is, or else!" Ember panted atop of moving, also having exhausted most of her energy chasing me.

"You're looking at him." I said. Ember looked at me confused for a moment, before looking angry. "Look, I know it doesn't make sense, but you have to believe…"

"Shut up!" Ember shouted, slamming her paw against the side of my face. "Stop lying and tell me where my master is _right. Now."_ As Ember said this, flames began appearing around her muzzle, and I knew that if I didn't say the right thing, I'd soon be getting a blast of flames straight to the face.

"Ember, please, you have to believe me!" I said, making her stop upon hearing her name. "I can prove I'm Jack! I met you in Kukui's lab, after having saved your pokeball from being destroyed in a fire! You used to be owned by a girl named Sara, but have now decided to join me on my journey of the Alolan Island Challenge!"

Staring down at me, confused even more than before, Ember eased off of me a bit. "Jack?" She asked.

I nodded. "The one and only, though now a bit different than before."

"But...but why were you running away from me? And why are you suddenly a Zorua?" She asked. "A female one at that?"

I blushed mildly at the last part. "I can explain the first part, and mildly the third, but not the second. I was running because Moon was with you, and since she's a pro trainer, I was worried she would want to capture me."

"As for the….female part, I was fused with a female Zorua, and have apparently become her for the time being. I have no idea why I was changed fully into a Zorua now, and having you pinning me down on the ground isn't helping me calm down from the panic attack I'm kind of having at the moment."

Ember finally got off of me, now choosing to sit down in front of me. "Sorry about that." She said, looking down at the ground sadly.

I looked at her with remorse. "Hey, it's fine. It's not your fault this happened to me. One second I'm eating malasada just like everyone else, the next I'm on the floor of the bathroom in immense pain as I was turned into this."

Ember smiled softly, thankful for the encouragement, before a look as if she thought of something came across her face. "Maybe that's it! Maybe it was the malasada!"

I cocked my head at her, not fully following her. After all, people ate malasadas all the time and no one ever had problems like mine before. Then again, most people weren't like me either.

"What I'm trying to say is maybe it was the berries that were used in the malasada that somehow did this to you! After all, they are made with berries so pokemon can eat them as well, so maybe it was because of the berries?"

Nodding slowly, I began to understand where Ember was coming from. "That does make sense, but then again..." I sighed, before looking at the ground. "That doesn't really give me a way to turn back at the moment. If it was a berry that turned me into this, would I just need to eat human food to change back? Or a different kind of berry?"

Ember shrugged, looking as stumped by this as I did, before looking like she had another idea. "I know! I'll go and find Hau, then take your bag back from him and bring it here! Your bag has a bunch of travel food and berries because you were getting ready to leave tomorrow, so we can just have you keep trying food until you turn back!"

I thought about this, and nodded. "Alright, it's our best bet. I'll wait here for you to come back, alright?"

Ember nodded, before giving a solute with her paw. "I'll be right back master!" She said, before turning around and running off.

Watching her run off, I was thankful to have such a loyal pokemon be the first to join me on my journey, even though she had lost so much.

However, as I watched her run, now being the same height as her, I saw something underneath her tail that caused me to instantly look away, blushing deeply while Dusk began laughing inside my head.

I sighed, laying down on the grass to rest from all the running while I waited for Ember to return.

Unfortunately, life chose that moment to screw me over once again, and I heard a deep chuckle from behind me. Instantly getting up and turning around, my eyes opened wide at the two people that were approaching me from the forest behind me.

One was a familiar muscled bald man with a scar across his face, the other a now mildly burned bulky man who was being pushed forward in a wheelchair, slowly clapping as the two approached.

"Well, well, well, this is certainly a surprising side effect!" Rook chuckled, noticing my unpleasant expression upon seeing him. "And it's nice to see you again Jack. It's been what, two days now? I must say, you've shrunk since the last time I saw you!"

I growled at Rook, wondering how in the hell he was still alive. "What do you want with me?" I asked.

Rook cocked his head, still holding his evil grin. "I'm sorry Jack, but sadly I don't speak pokemon. But if you're wondering why I'm here, it's to capture you of course! My employer has only given me five more days to bring you to him, and I'd love it if you made it easier for me and just gave yourself up."

It was my turn to laugh. "Give up? Like hell! By the time I'm done with you the police will have to scrape you off those trees." I growled.

Rook sighed, though you could tell it was quite fake. "Once more, I don't speak pokemon, but judging by your expression, you just threatened me." Rook then pretended to act like he had an idea. "I know, I have a friend who could meet you that you could talk to!"

With a hand motion to his assistant, the bald man reached down behind the chair and pulled out a great ball, before handing it to Rook. Rook grinned towards me before throwing the ball into the air and releasing his pokemon as I watched.

The earth shook at the size of the pokemon before me, and my body locked and and my heart froze at the sight before me.

Standing much larger over top of me was a large blue, silver and red dragon, which let out a mighty roar as it looked down towards me. "The moment my master commands it, you will be destroyed." The Salamence growled at me, causing my legs to shake.

"Now, I wouldn't want to bring you to my employer beaten and broken, but if that's what I have to do to get you to comply, then that's what will happen." Rook then paused for a moment, before laughing. "Actually, I think I'll just have Salamence here beat you up a bit anyway. Think of it as payment for _breaking my spine_." He growled.

"I'm afraid that I'm not going to allow that to happen." A calm female voice said from behind me.

I whirled around, being met with the strangely calm face of Moon as she approached us. She stared forward at Rook, his partner and the Salamence, only taking a brief glance in my direction with a small smile.

"And just who do you think is going to stop me? You, a little girl? Please, my Salamence has defeated trainers with much more experience than you'll ever have. Now run home to your mother before I have Salamence use hyper beam on both you and the Zorua."

Moon shook her head slowly, a soft smile on her face. "I might have done that if I was a normal trainer, but unfortunately for you, there are two factors occurring here that keep me from leaving."

"One, I have never run from a battle, and that's what allowed me to become the Champion and defend my title for the last seven years." At this, Rook's eyes widened, and he looked mildly afraid.

"Secondly, even though I don't know the full story, I do know that this Zorua is connected to the disappearance of a new trainer I just met, who I might be able to one day call a friend. I'd like to find him soon, so if saving this Zorua from whoever you two are is what it takes, then so be it."

Rook's eye appeared to be twitching, before he laughed. "Your friend is closer than you think, but that won't matter in the end. Salamence hyper beam!"

My eyes widened as the Salamence opened its mouth, a ball of white light appearing in its mouth. I was about to run, but Moon shot a hand down towards me, motioning for me to stay. Meanwhile, with her other hand, a pokeball was tossed forwards, appearing to be a premier ball.

As the beam of light was shot towards us, I braced for a large amount of pain as the ground around us exploded, showering the area in debris and smoke.

Rook laughed as the Salamence panted, needing some time to recover after having used such a powerful move. "Ha, so much for the pokemon champion! Now, to find Jack's beaten body and to get out of…"

The smoke had finally cleared enough that Rook could see us again, appearing to be just fine much to my surprise. "But….but how?" Rook asked, looking shocked.

Finally, all the smoke had disappeared, revealing a tall green and white figure standing in front of us. The Gardevoir put its hand down, and a shield of blue disappeared from in front of her.

"Thank you for using protect Gardevoir." Moon said, smiling at her pokemon, who smiled back and nodded her head. "And thank you, strange violent man. Now I know that this Zorua is in fact Jack, even if that doesn't make much sense. However, I do know I should end this before you try to hurt us again, so…"

Moon then proceeded to make calculated movements with her arms and legs, while I watched on in confusion and Rook watched with great fear.

As Moon made a heart with her hands, I noticed the white Z Ring on her wrist, now glistening with a pink gem clamped inside. My eyes widened and a smile crossed my face as I realized what Moon was doing.

Standing in a strange pose, I watched as power energy began coming off of Gardevoir, before she rushed forwards and towards the Salamence, who had almost finished recovering from the hyper beam.

With a burst of the energy, the area became covered in a form of pink energy, while Gardevoir glided in front of Salamence. Raising an arm forward, a large star formed in front of her, before shooting forward and hitting the Salamence.

The Salamence roared in pain as it was sent flying through the air, and I could tell it had already fainted as it fell back on the ground, landing on top of Rook and his partner.

As the two groaned, Moon looked towards her Gardevoir. "Keep an eye on them and make sure they don't leave, though I don't expect them to be going anywhere now."

Gardevoir nodded, before floating over to them. Moon then proceeded to pull out a small phone, before dialing in a quick number.

"Hello, yes, I'd like to get the Hau'oli city police over to the clearing right of the tourist bureau. There are two men here who were conducting illegal capture and trainer methods, along with planning to sell to the black market. You'll be over shortly? Great."

Moon proceeded to hang up her phone, before turning to me. "Now, while we wait, you should probably try your best to explain the situation without being able to talk to me Jack."

I gulped, noticing the suddenly serious look on her face, before beginning the most difficult game of charades of my life.


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5: Reversing the Change and the Start of a Journey_

 _You know those moments where you have to reveal a secret, and you wonder if you're making the right choice or not?_

 _This can occur whether it be your secret to tell or someone else's secret to keep, and you can only wonder if there would be any consequences created by revealing the truth. Some secrets are meant to be kept hidden, after all._

 _But sometimes, the only thing you're able to do is to tell the truth, whether you like it or not. That's the situation I found myself in with Moon, as she not only deserved to know the truth since she had saved me from Rook, but also because she now knew that the Zorua in front of her was in fact me._

 _As I jumped around, trying to speak with my motions rather than words, I eventually got the larger points of the truth through to Moon, such as how Rook had experimented on me, combining me with a Zorua, and that after eating the malasada earlier that day, I had turned fully into the Zorua I had been fused with._

 _With the highlights complete, the police finally arrived. They confiscated Rook's pokeball and returned the Salamence, then proceeded to cuff him and his partner before they were both carried away to the local station._

 _Moon turned to leave, but I managed to mime out that I needed to stay here for a few more minutes. Moon acknowledged my request, and returned her Gardevoir to its ball before sitting next to me in the clearing as we waited for Ember to return._

"Maffer, I'm bag!" Ember said as she trotted into the clearing, my bag now clamped around her mouth and muffling her voice. Moon smiled, now understanding why I wanted to stay here, as Ember came up to me.

Her eyes widened a little bit upon noticing Moon, but I told her that she was fine, and that she wasn't going to try to capture me. Ember nodded, before placing the bag in front of me and opening it with a swipe of her paws.

"Thank you Ember." I said, before crawling into my bag. Just like the game, the bag had segmented areas on the inside, each area meant to carry designated types of items.

Crawling around, I found my berry and food patches, in which I grabbed each with my teeth before pulling back.

I crawled out of the bag, with two bags of food being carried in my mouth. To my left was a bag of berries, such as oran, pecha and cheri berries, and to my right was a bunch of normal food such as bars, dried camping food, and other assorted items.

Looking down at the bags, I realised I couldn't really unzip either, as I couldn't grab them with my paws. "Here, let me get that for you." Moon said as she reached down and unzipped both bags for me.

I wanted to thank her, but seeing as I couldn't speak, I just nodded with a smile towards her. I think the message got through to her as she smiled back at me as I went to try human food first.

Looking into the bag, I found a simple granola bar. After checking the nutrition facts to ensure there were no berry related ingredients, I had Ember open it for me with a swipe of her claws.

Holding the bar between my paws (which was an extremely difficult act to pull off), I leaned forwards and took a bite, before chewing and swallowing.

I sat there for a moment, waiting for anything to happen. A sort of sign that I was going to turn back, such as the pain I had experienced before.

However, after five minutes of waiting, I shook my head, releasing a sigh as well as Moon and Ember. Eating human food didn't turn me back into a human, sadly.

Placing the bar back into the bag, I then turned to the berry bag. After digging around inside, I pulled out an oran berry, though it's large blue shape barely fit in my small mouth.

Taking a bite, my eyes expanded as my taste buds were assaulted with the sweet taste of the berry, reminding me of the best blueberries I had ever tasted, but even better.

However, just like with the bar, I only had a single bite, before sitting down and waiting.

This time, the only effect the berry had on me was making my mouth water and make me want to eat even more. Sadly, once again there were no changes to my form.

"Maybe it will just wear off?" Moon suggested. "Maybe you'll just have to wait for the malasada, and now the oran berry if berries are the cause, to pass through your system before you change back."

Her theory made sense, but I had several issues with that plan. First off, I wanted to turn back to normal as quickly as possible to start my journey, and it would take days before the berries would finish fully exiting my body.

Secondly, I just _knew_ there was something that if I used, it would turn me back. Somehow, I had a deep feeling that waiting wouldn't do anything, and so I shook my head, motioning to Moon that that wouldn't work.

Moon sighed as she placed her chin on her hands, looking stumped. "Well, you've tried human food, and you've tried pokemon food. So maybe food isn't the answer, but something else is."

Once again, Moon made sense, but now I began to wonder what I could eat that wasn't food. Moon however suddenly looked like she had an idea, before turning to her bag and digging around its contents.

After a moment, she yelled out "Aha!", before pulling out what looked like a purple block of gel. "It's and old gateau." She explained. "It's not technically food, and it's used to cure all status conditions. Maybe your current form counts as a status effect, and so the gateau would cure it!"

I blinked, now suddenly wondering if all of Moon's previous ideas had just been luck, because now she sounded completely crazy. However, at this point I was willing to try anything, and so, with Moon passing me a slice, I ate some of the old gateau.

It was one of the strangest things I have ever eaten to this day. It was like a gelatin form of grape cough medicine, but at the same time didn't really have that much of a taste. It was chewy, though once chewed, went down with ease.

We sat there for a couple minutes afterwards, with Moon having put the gateau away. After five minutes were up, I sighed, kicking the ground in frustration. "Once again, we were wrong, and even the gateau with its cure all didn't wo-"

I stopped talking, my body suddenly freezing up. Once it did, a wave of pain washed through my whole body, all the way down to the core.

Crying out, I fell to the ground in pain. Ember yelled out my name, starting to move towards me, but Moon held a hand out in front of her, watching me with deep concern on her face.

If there was a feeling I could avoid upon given the option, it would be the pain created by changing forms between human and Zorua. The pain is indescribable as your limbs change positions, with new bones growing and changing shape while others slowly disappear into your body.

The worst part about all of this is the fact that I never fainted from the pain, but rather had to endure every painful second of it. While my old muscles grew back and my fur sinking back into my skin, my eyes went wide and I took in a deep breath of air, the pain finally subsiding.

I slowly stood up and shaky legs, before patting myself down. Two arms, check. Two legs, check. A bipedal stance, check. A tail and ears, sadly checked.

Yelling out, I hollered in victory. "Yes, the gateau worked!" I turned to Moon, who was looking away with a blush on her face. "Thank you so much Moon...though why are you looking away?"

Moon's blush deepened as she stammered out. "You don't have any clothes on."

I blinked, before looking down at myself, finding that I had no clothes on, sense they had fallen off when I had become a Zorua.

It was my turn to blush as I frantically reached down to my bag, before grabbing ahold of my clothes and frantically attempting to put them on. "I am so sorry about that!" I said to Moon, struggling to put my pants on.

She shook her head, still looking away. "It's fine. You were excited about having turned back and forgot is all. Don't worry about it."

I nodded, still not believing that I had just stood naked in front of Moon. Finally, with my hat placed atop my head, I turned back to Moon, telling her that I was changed now. She sighed, having held in a breath the entire time as she turned back to me.

Little had I known, Ember had been staring at me the entire time, which would unfortunately result in a later problem.

"Glad to see you're all right then." Moon smiled, before looking more serious. "Now, can you please tell me what's going on? How were you a Zorua just now? I gathered that that man from before had something to do with it, but not much else."

I sighed, deciding to now more carefully explain things to Moon, seeing as she saved my life and helped me turn back. Going down the events of the last two (now almost three, as it was sometime in the night now) days, I went over my kidnapping, experimentation, escape, and aid gained by Kukui, who was the only other person that knew about my condition.

When I finished, Moon nodded, though she appeared mildly distraught. "It's horrible that you had to go through that pain, and those poor people and pokemon that didn't make it out…" Ember winced at this, remembering Sara.

I nodded, also hating the fact that I was the only one that suffered and survived. It wasn't like I wanted to die, but it was the fact that others went through the same, if not even worse, pain than I did, and ended up perishing at the hands of Rook.

Moon then looked up to me, before smiling as she prefered to do. "On the bright side, you're still here, and you're fine now. If anything, Rook gave you one advantage that no other trainer has: You can talk to your pokemon."

"Yeah, the professor mentioned to me that you might find that aspect interesting if you were to find out." I mentioned. "He said you'd think it would be a better way of getting closer to my pokemon."

Moon nodded, looking mildly excited. "That's only the half of it. By being able to speak to pokemon, you can always know how they've feeling. You can create an even deeper bond with them by talking to them and asking for their advice on certain situations. If I had to guess, this alone could make an evolution based on happiness occur in just weeks compared to the months other trainers have to go through."

I looked at Moon, impressed with this knowledge, and agreeing with it. Since I could talk to pokemon, I could gain insight on areas they know about, or how to avoid other pokemon with their advice. And just like Moon said, I could create a friendship deeper than any other trainer had ever been able to have before.

Little did I know what that sentence would later mean, and both the rewards and consequences it could have.

Moon stood up, before dusting herself off. "I'd like to talk more about this, but it's getting late and I have to be back at the league tomorrow. Let's go back to Kukui's lab and try to find Hau while we're at it." Moon looked at me for a moment, studying my ear and idly swishing tail. "Um, you might want to hide those like you did earlier with me and Hau."

I looked at myself, before realizing my ears and tail were still out. Nodding, I took a moment to focus, before casting illusion upon myself to hide my ears and tail. It was faster than last time, though not by much, and still not nearly as fast as the first time I had done it.

Either way, when I looked back up, Moon was impressed. "I heard you say you could cast illusion like a Zorua, but seeing it in action is just so much more fascinating." Grinning, Moon turned around and began to leave the clearing. "Come on, let's go find Hau and get some rest."

"Um, what are we supposed to tell Hau?" I asked, running up to Moon as she exited the clearing and went onto the street. "I did disappear rather strangely, after all."

Moon put a finger to her chin, thinking for a moment, before turning to me. "Just blame aliens." She said, shrugging. "Knowing Hau, he might not believe it, but it will be interesting enough to make him not question it."

I blinked, wondering if such a trick would work, but as we went down the street and saw the person in question running towards us, I would just have to hope it would work.

"Hey Moon, and Jack! Where have you been? You just disappeared suddenly at the malasada shop, and we've been searching for you for hours! And then your Fennekin came up behind me and stole your bag while I wasn't looking, but I'm glad to see you got it back." Leaning back on his arms, Hau looked at me questionably. "So, what happened?"

"Um…" I stood there for a moment, honestly wondering if this would work. "...aliens?" I said.

Hau blinked at my answer, trying to process it for a moment, before a grin passed over his face. "Wait, really? You were abducted by aliens? That's so cool! You'll have to tell me all about it!"

Moon decided to step in now, since I didn't really have much of an answer to this. "It'll have to be later Hau. It's pretty late, and we all need our rest. It's been a long day, and it'll be an even longer one tomorrow, what with us getting back to our jobs and Jack starting his journey."

Hau thought about this for a moment, before nodding. "Alright, that makes sense. Come on, let's head over to Kukui's place. He did leave you his key, right Jack?"

I nodded, and so we left to Kukui's lab. Once there, I opened the door and we went inside. I headed over to the makeshift bed I had on the ground, meanwhile Hau found a couch and Moon went up and slept in the loft.

As I began to fall asleep, I felt Ember curl up on top of me, making me realize I hadn't put her back in her pokeball. For a moment, I thought about getting up to do so, but with her adding extra warmth with the blanket along with the fact she was already falling asleep, I decided to leave her be before falling asleep myself.

 _ **~Line Break~**_

When I awoke the next morning, it was already pretty late, being around eight thirty, and Moon and Hau were already gone, leaving two notes on the door for me. Having gotten up, I decided to read the first note, which was from Moon.

" _Hey Jack, sorry that I couldn't see you off on your adventure, but I have to get back to the league soon and I wanted to visit my Mom real quick before I left. I wish you luck on your journey though, and I can't wait for the day where you challenge me for the championship. Also, if you ever need any help with anything, be sure to call me or the professor, alright? I already registered myself in your pokedex, so don't worry about it. Good luck! P.S. - Be sure to contact the professor and tell him about what happened yesterday, alright?"_

I smiled at this, before turning to the second note, which was from Hau. " _Hey there Jack, good luck on your journey, and be sure to stock up on malasada for your pokemon. I'll be on Ula'Ula island, so once you get there, be sure to find me, alright? Good luck on your adventure!"_

Grinning, I put the notes away, before pulling out my dex. Going to the call options, I went to Kukui's name, which was easy as I only had him and Moon registered.

The dex rang a few moments before being answered by the professor himself, being revealed by a holographic form of himself. "Ah Jack, good morning! Have you already got a start on your journey?" He asked.

I shook my head. "Not yet professor. I'm actually calling you because of something that happened yesterday." I then proceeded to go into detail about how I had become a pokemon, my run in and capture of Rook, and then how I turned back with the aid of Moon.

Kukui once more looked serious as I finished explaining. "I'll be sure to send some of my partners over to speak to Rook, however it might be a few days as we've recently become very busy with another project. Rest assured, any time we're not working on that we've been trying to research your current predicament, however we haven't found much yet and now with this newest transformation, it might take even longer."

I nodded, not expecting any way of reversing this transformation any time soon. "Alright, thank you professor." I said.

Kukui nodded. "I'm happy to help Jack, and thank you for informing be about all of this. Hopefully with Rook captured, we'll be able to find a way to change you back in no time! Now, I have to get back to work, but I wish you luck on your trip!"

I grinned, before saying goodbye to Kukui and hanging up.

Turning around, I went to the kitchen and made myself something to eat, while also feeding Ember.

While we ate our meals, I looked over to Ember. "So, are you ready to start our trip? We'll probably be traveling down route two all day today, and then we'll have our first island trial. Due to your already high level, you'll probably evolve soon. Think you're ready?"

Ember finished chewing the food in her mouth before turning to me with a smile on her face. "I sure am! I can't wait to finally become a Braixen! I've always wondered what using psychic type moves would feel like, and evolving will prove that I really am getting stronger."

I smiled at this, glad to see that Ember was so enthusiastic. We then proceeded to finish eating our meals, with me cleaning up our dishes before we left Kukui's lab.

We then proceeded to make our way up to Hau'Oli city, taking around an hour to not only get there, but to walk down its streets to get to the opposite end where the entrance to Route two was.

Standing at the end of the concrete road, I was greeted to the sight of Route 2. A dirt path extended far forwards in front of me, with no real end in sight. Several trees lined the sides, and to the left I could see the hotel far in the distance.

With several large patches of grass to the sides, I guessed that the route was exactly like it was in the games, only on a much larger scale. Looking around however, I didn't see any trainers around, so I assumed they just wandered that route and battled trainers when they found them.

With Ember by my side, we proceeded to start our journey down route two. Not much could be said of the first few hours of our journey, which were oddly quiet as we passed the hotel and the berry farm.

However, I was still excited as we made our way down the long dirt path, as my pokemon journey had finally begun. Sure, even though I had become a trainer and was certified to take the island challenge, this was my first step towards the first trial and my first major battle.

Finally, as we approached a large patch of grass with the pokemon center in the distance, we were stopped by our first trainer.

Turns out, most of the trainers like to stand around the pokemon center, as other trainers would almost always head there and it gave them a place to quickly heal their pokemon once they were done battling.

Ember and I faced two trainers before we finally reached the pokemon center, and after checking the dex, I determined it would take at least one more battle against any pokemon before Ember leveled up to level sixteen and evolved.

With only needing a level four Rattata's amount of experience needed to evolve, Ember and I decided to head out one last time before calling it a day, as the sun would soon be setting soon and both of our legs were sore after walking all day.

After walking around for a bit and still not finding anyone to fight against, we decided to head over to Verdant Cavern to search for a battle. I also wanted to search for a Noibat, that way I could add them to my party.

However, as we reached the entrance of the cavern, I smacked my head, remembering a key detail as we approached a colored fence: I could only enter the cavern right now if I was to take the trial, and I couldn't catch any pokemon inside until after I had defeated the totem pokemon.

"Planning to take my trial soon I take it?" I heard a calm soft voice say from behind me. Turning around, I was greeted to clean looking young man with tanned skin, pinkish hair, straight white pants and a brown vest.

"Alola," They said, making the traditional greeting. "My name is Ilima, and this is the entrance to my trial. Judging by the band on your bag, I assume you're here for the trial…"

"Jack." I said, before greeting them with and "Alola" of my own. "I am planning to take your trial, but not right now since it's starting to get late. I was actually looking for a battle right now, but I haven't run into any trainers or wild pokemon about, and only remembered I can't go in there after wild pokemon until after I take my challenge."

Ilima nodded, still smiling softly. "I can understand that. You're not the first to make such a simple mistake, after all." Ilima suddenly had a thoughtful look on their face. "Why don't you battle me then? I only have a single pokemon on me currently, but looking at your belt, I can tell that that will be just perfect."

I nodded, taking a quick glance down at my belt that I had acquired. It was a simple trainer's belt, which allowed you to hook your pokeballs up to. Ember was still out, standing to my side, but her pokeball on my side proved my ownership.

"Alright, that'll work just fine. Ember, you're up." I said, in which Ember nodded with a smile on her face as she jumped forwards.

Ilima's smile grew a little bit at this, as they took a step back to give enough room for us to battle. Reaching behind them, Ilima pulled out a pokeball of his own before tossing it out lightly towards the field.

After a moment, a small white and brown pokemon stood on the field, gripping its paintbrush like tail. The Smeargle looked around casually before realizing it was in a battle, as it got into a more battle ready but still relaxed position.

"Alright Ember, rush forwards with scratch, and them jump back and use ember!" Nodding, Ember ran forwards and rushed towards the Smeargle, before raising her claws up to swipe at them.

"Smeargle, jump out of the way and use sketch." Ilima calmly said. Right as Ember was right in front of Smeargle, it jumped back and began waving its tail around as Ember's claws hit air.

Smeargle raised its paws, with new claws ready for battle. However, as it did so, small bits of flame rushed towards it.

"Smeargle, avoid the ember and use scratch." Ilima said. Smeargle reacted, moving to avoid Ember's ember. It avoided most of the damage, though still got hit on the side by a few of the flames.

"Ember, jump away from the scratch and use a scratch of your own!" I shouted. Ember nodded, trying to dodge to the left of the Smeargle.

However, the Smeargle was able to see where Ember was going, and hit her directly with the scratch. Ember winced, with the scratch taking a surprising amount of health from her.

Ember was still able to hit Smeargle though with the scratch, and at that point I was certain that we could win as long as she kept directly hitting Smeargle. "Ember, keep trying to hit that Smeargle with scratch! Try to endure any hits taken and just keep hitting until they're knocked out!"

Nodding, Ember rushed forwards, swinging madly at the Smeargle as they jumped back. "Smeargle, avoid the attacks and hit back with scratches of your own."

And so, for the next two minutes, the two jumped back and forth between one another, trading one blow after another.

We watched as they both panted, both with several cuts across their bodies. "Ember, rush to the side and hit them from behind!" I said.

"Smeargle, jumped out of the way and use scratch." Ilima said.

Ember jumped forwards, with the Smeargle jumping back and readying its claws. "Alright, now while it's open! Use ember!"

Ilima's eyes opened slightly wider, though they remained calm as their Smeargle could no longer avoid the attack, and was directly hit by the ember. Crying out in pain, the Smeargle hit the ground, having been knocked out.

I shouted out in victory as Ilima smiled, returning their Smeargle to their pokeball. As I celebrated, I failed to initially notice that Ember had begun to glow, a bright white light covering her entire body.

Finally noticing, I watched the light as Ember's silhouette changed shaping, her tail growing larger and now having a stick in it. Her stance changed as well, going from a quadruped to a biped. Finally, her body shape changed from that of a fox to more of that like a person.

With the light disappearing, Ember blinked before looking down at her new form, in which she began grinning madly. "I evolved!" She cheered, twirling around on her two new legs before running over to me.

I laughed with her as we hugged, with Ilima smiling at us. "It's good to see that you have such a close bond with your pokemon." He said.

I grinned, letting go of the hug before walking over to Ilima. "Thanks for the battle." I said, holding out a hand, which he took and shook. "We'll back back here tomorrow for the first trial, alright?"

Ilima nodded. "I expected as much. I look forward to seeing how well you and your Braixen manage, though I have no doubts in my mind that you won't be successful."

Turning around, Ilima began to walk off. "It was good to meet you Jack. I'll see you tomorrow."

I nodded, before turning to Ember. "Alright, let's get on over to the pokemon center so we can get a good night of rest before the challenge tomorrow."

Ember nodded enthusiastically, still quite energized from having evolved. "Alright Master!" She cried out as we began to walk back towards the pokemon center.

"I'd rather you just call me Jack Ember." I said as we walked down the dirt path. "Calling me "Master" makes me feel more like a slave owner or something. You can keep calling me that if you feel like it, but I'd prefer if you just called me by my name."

Ember stopped for a moment, thinking, before nodding. "Alright Jack, if that's what you really want." As she said this, she seemed a bit happier, the smile on her face a bit larger, there was a perk in her step and her tail was wagging.

Finally, we reached the pokemon center, and I was able to get a trainer's room (Pokemon centers came equipped with hotel facilities for trainers, and the initial services are free. Hotels exist for non trainers or if the rooms at a center are full, and offer more services than a center provides).

Once I was in my room, I relaxed as I got changed for the night, with my tail and ears being revealed as the illusion was destroyed.

When I finished changing, I went to bed, deigning to let Ember stay out of her ball for the night again as she seemed to prefer it, as she once again cuddled up beside me. This time she slept by my side though, as her new form made her too large to sleep atop of me.

I fell asleep soon enough but didn't realize that Ember was still wide awake beside me. As she laid there, with my sleeping on my stomach next to her (I can't sleep on my back anymore because of my tail), she moved her legs against each other, before taking a quick glance towards me.

She bit her bottom lip, staring at my sleeping form as a new form of heat spread down her legs. " _No, not tonight._ " She thought, forcing herself to look away and try to go to sleep instead. " _Tomorrow, after our first trial victory and he's finished celebrating, I'll give him a…."_ special" _kind of reward."_

Ember held a smile on her face at this thought, going to sleep with her excitement for tomorrow growing with every moment.


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter 6: First Trial, A New Friend, and Another Kind of Reward_

I awoke the next morning feeling excitement coursing through my body. Today was the day of my first trial, and I was certain we would be victorious. After all, if the games were accurate, the trial pokemon would only be level twelve, and even with its stat increase, they wouldn't be able to stand against Ember, who had a four level advantage.

Going over to my stuff, I proceeded to pull out my pokedex before sitting on my bed. Looking over, I saw that Ember was still asleep, so I decided to let her rest as I went over her moveset.

Now, another difference of the pokemon world compared to the games was that pokemon could in fact know more than four moves at once. However, only four moves could be used during battle, and so if you have a dex, you can assign which four moves you will currently be using.

Looking through her moves, I was surprised to find out that Ember knew the move flame charge, and had actually known it since level fourteen. _"That would have been good to know yesterday, but it doesn't really matter now."_

Going over all of her moves, I decided for the trial that she would be equipped with ember, flame charge, scratch and howl. With this set in mind, I figured I could get her attack up first, then have her charge at the totem pokemon before jumping back and using ember from a distance.

With this plan in mind, and with Ember beginning to wake up from her sleep, I decided it was time for us to get our day started.

I proceeded to take a shower (not realizing I was being watched through the cracked open door). Showers were a bit annoying now, as I had to scrub my tail which took more option to not only wash but also dry, and water continued to get into my ears until I finally managed to figure out how to have them lay against my head.

Once I was done, I got changed, cast illusion upon myself, and then Ember and I left to go eat. Going into the main room of the center, we walked up to the cafe and I got some food for us.

I proceeded to get a Tapu Cocoa with a muffin, while getting Ember some Moomoo milk, pokemon food, and some poke beans for later.

As we ate, I went over my strategy with Ember, though I had to talk like I was just talking at her and not too her, since there were other people around and just talking to her could raise some questions (or make people think I'm crazy).

We finished soon after, and with it now nearing ten thirty (at this rate I was just going to have to accept that either I was going to get up kinda late, or have to set an alarm on my dex), we decided to head out to the first trial at Verdant Cavern.

Ember and I walked up to the cave with energized steps, ready to take on the trial. As we finished the walk over, we found Ilima standing in front of the gate, looking down at a journal of some sorts as he waited.

"Ah, alola and good morning Jack." Ilima said, noticing us and we walked up. Placing his journal aside, Ilima walked up to us as I returned the greeting.

"Good morning to you too." I said with excitement on the edge of my voice. "So, is there anything we have to go over before we get the trial started?"

Ilima shook his head. "Not really, aside from what the trial is." Ilima said, turning to face the cavern. "You'll head inside and defeat three of the younger evolutions of the trial pokemon, which, since you decided to face it during the day, will be three Yungoos."

My eyes opened slightly at this, though it actually made sense. If this world was supposed to be a form of all the games, and with Sun and Moon being split by a twelve hour difference, it made sense that during the day, the Sun's trial pokemon would be active, while at night Moon's pokemon would be active.

I nodded, showing my understandment to Ilima. "Alright, we can get that done simply enough. Anything else?"

"Just the essential rules to any trial. Once you have faced all three challenges, go and face the trial pokemon. Once defeated, you'll be granted a Normalium Z, along with the ability to capture pokemon in Verdant Cavern."

Grinning, I watched as Ilima clapped his hands, and two trial guides stepped out of the cave and removed the barrier. "I wish you luck in your trial Jack."

"Thank you. Hopefully I'll be out of here soon. See you then Ilima." I said, waving to them as I walked forwards and into the cave, with Ember to my side.

Once inside, I was amazed by what I saw. The cave was almost exactly like it was depicted in the games, but it was more amazing than before, as I was actually seeing it with my own eyes.

The cave was lush and green, with several plants growing inside. The cave was lit up by holes in the ceiling which illuminated the area, and several bridges made up of large trees stood over a deep abyss. I gulped, looking over the edge, but saw that it wasn't actually that far of a fall, and more plants lined the bottom to cushion any fall.

With that irrational fear out of the way, I turned around and was greeted by the face of an angry Yungoos.

I jumped away right as the Yungoos jumped towards me, claws outstretched, though we both managed to avoid falling into the hole.

"Ember, use flame charge!" I said as the Yungoos finally noticed Ember rather than me, and charged at her instead.

Nodding, Ember suddenly had flames coat her entire body before she rushed forwards, meeting the Yungoos halfway and slamming into the smaller pokemon, sending it flying after being hit.

The Yungoos cried out in pain before slamming into the stone wall of the cave, falling to the ground unconscious.

I blinked, wondering if he was going to get up, before realizing he was down for the count. "Huh, this trial might be easier than I thought." I said, before making my way further into the cave.

That's how the next battle went as well, with only the one attack needed to take on the next Yungoos who attacked in a similar matter.

The third battle was a bit more difficult, once we managed to track it down, as the third pokemon was actually a Gumshoos. He was faster and smarter than the other two, and actually managed to hit Ember with a quick attack, but once more we defeated them with ease with a flame charge followed by a scratch.

Finally, we had defeated the three pokemon, and were ready to take on the totem pokemon. Approaching the cave exit, I walked up to the trial guide and informed him of my victories. He nodded, stepping aside to let me pass.

Walking up, I was amazed once again by the sight in front of me. A large clearing stood in front of me, with a path winding upwards to the left blocked by several boulders. Straight ahead of me was a totem, and inside I could see the glistening gem of a Z crystal.

Moving slowly up to the totem, I was ready to jump back at any moment for when the totem pokemon would appear. As I went to grab the seemingly glowing crystal, I heard the signature call of a pokemon above me, causing me to jump back and look up.

My eyes widened in confusion at the sight before me. Jumping down from the ledge above me was a large black rat with stuffed cheeks. And when I say large, I meant _large_ , as the Alolan Raticate was almost as tall as I was.

" _Alolan Raticate?! But it's daytime! He shouldn't be out right now!"_ It didn't matter however as the Raticate let out a roar, and I could feel a sudden burst of energy rise from the angry pokemon.

"Ember, use howl!" I said, trying to get passed the confusion of what was happening. Ember nodded, before letting out a howl which caused her attack to increase.

The Raticate was already rushing forwards, ready to slam into Ember with a tackle. "Ember, use flame charge!" I said, planning to use the same strategy as I had used on the Yungoos.

However, as Ember rushed forwards with the flames around her, the Raticate used quick attack to get out of the way, before raising its large teeth into the air and plunging them into Ember with a bite.

Ember cried out in pain before jumping out of the way. I bit my lip, realizing that the Raticate was smarter than it looked. "Alright Ember, use ember and avoid the Raticate, and if he gets too close use flame charge!"

Nodding, Ember jumped away from the Raticate as they charged forward once again, before letting out a few small flames. They managed to connect, though didn't do that much overall damage to the rampaging pokemon, who was letting out another roar.

This time, after it finished roaring, a small black mouse with a moustache jumped over the ledge the Raticate had come from, and I cursed, realizing he had called in reinforcements.

The Rattata appeared drowsy though, its movements slow as if it had just woken up. Noticing this, and how it was now standing across from the Raticate as they attempted to corner Ember, who was still letting out embers that the Raticate avoided, and idea formed in my head.

"Ember, rush towards the Rattata with flame rush, then try to propel yourself off of him and hit the Raticate with flame rush as well!"

Nodding, flames once more engulfed Ember's being, and she charged forth towards the Rattata. The small mouse pokemon's eyes widened, and it tried to jump out of the way, but its reflexes were still too slow after having been woken up.

The Raticate noticed Ember's attack, and began to jump towards her to try and intersect her before she could reach the Rattata. He was too slow though as she connected with the small pokemon, sending it flying unconscious through the air, but not before she jumped off of it, sending herself towards the Raticate.

Flames surrounded Ember once more, burning bright with its intensity as she slammed into the Raticate not a moment later, sending it flying towards me. I jumped out of the way right in time, with the Raticate flying past and slamming into the wall behind me.

The Raticate cried out in pain, before slumping to the ground, defeated.

Once I was certain it had fainted, I jumped up and hollered in joy, having defeated the totem pokemon and thus having completed my first island trial. Ember was by my side soon enough, and we jumped around with each other for a moment in celebration.

"I'm glad to see that you came out victorious." I heard a voice say from behind me, before turning around to find Ilima approaching. "However, the fact that it was Raticate that came to battle you is not only surprising, but also concerning. Raticate is a nocturnal pokemon, so I can only wonder why he came out during the day, and where totem Gumshoos is."

I finally stopped jumping up and down in excitement, nodding in agreement with Ilima. "I'll have to ask some researchers to come by, along with some rangers to see if something might have happened to Gumshoos. But that doesn't exactly matter right now." Ilima now turned to me, smiling.

"I'd like to congratulate you on completing your first trial Jack, and thus you are granted to take the Z crystal behind you, Normalium Z."

Grinning, I turned around, before walking over to the totem and reaching inside to grab the small grey crystal.

Holding it in my hand, I stared down at it and noticed the small, normal type pattern that lay under its surface. Looking over to my Z Ring, I opened it up before placing the crystal inside, then closed it as I turned around to Ilima.

"Now, how you use a Z crystal and its Z move is quite complex, and with some of them, potentially dangerous." Ilima said, now turning serious. "As a warning, be careful when using Z moves such as the fire or ground type Z moves, as they can actually impact the environment if you're not careful."

I nodded slowly, beginning to realize the power I actually had now by having Z moves at my disposal, and the amount of trust Kukui and granted me by allowing me to have a Z Ring.

"Now, as for the power itself." Ilima explained. "First, you must concentrate and connect one pokemon with the move in question. Imagine your pokemon able to use the crystal's power, and they will be able to."

"Next, you must have a strong bond with you pokemon, and must be able to trust them with this power as well as we trust you with it." Turning to Ember, she smiled up at me and nodded, knowing that our bond would be no problem.

"Finally, you must activate the crystal's power through its signature dance. Watch closely, and I will show you how to use Normalium Z."

Ilima then proceeded to do a small dance, ending with their arms bent in opposing directions, having demonstrated how to use the Z crystal's Z move.

"With that, you are now not only granted permission to capture pokemon in Verdant Cavern, but you can also go and take the island's Grand Challenge in a battle against Kahuna Hala."

I nodded, thankful to Ilima to showing me the Z move. "Thank you Ilima. I'll be sure to face Hala soon, though I feel like I'm going to take some time to train beforehand."

"Take all the time you need." Ilima said, turning around. "There is no time limit for your island challenge, and you can take all the time necessary for any training. Now, I have some work to do, so I wish you luck on your trial."

I waved goodbye to Ilima as they walked away. " _Nice guy."_ I thought, before looking down at my wrist again. " _Especially since he's trusting me with something that can hold so much power."_

" _I agree."_ Dusk said, sounding as quiet as usual in the back of my head. " _I was not aware that they gave items of such power away freely, especially since he had only met you yesterday."_

" _Yeah, I just hope they don't give these crystals to everyone."_ I thought, my face turning a bit grim. " _Imagine if the wrong people got their hands on such powerful crystals."_

" _Yes, and the same goes for mega evolution, but I feel like that is more of a problem in the Kalos region."_

I nodded, having begun to exit the cave with Ember right beside me. _"It might still be a problem later on, but I'll worry about that later. For now, my journey has only just started, so hopefully there won't be any problems."_

Little did I know, larger problems than I could imagine were beginning to form, and with me as the center of attention, I would have to fight for my life as well as the lives of my pokemon.

As we walked down the the lengths of the cave, with Ember right beside me still jumping around in victory beside me. However, I froze, soon followed by Ember as she noticed I had stopped moving, due to the sight in front of me.

Walking slowly on two small feet on the ground, with bat like wings bent forward and their small hands on their stomach, was a small bat pokemon with large ears.

It was a Noibat, the very same pokemon I had been hoping to run into. However, something seemed wrong with it, due to how it wasn't flying around and how its two clawed hands were on its stomach.

"Ember, rush forwards and use scratch, though try not to hurt the Noibat too badly." I said. Ember nodded, noticing the sullen look on the Noibat's face.

The Noibat finally looked up as Ember rushed forwards, it's sullen look turning to one of surprise and mild fear. "A human! No, a trainer!" I heard a small female voice cry out as they turned around. "I have to get out of here!"

However, as they began to try to run, Ember was already upon them, her claws outstretched as they smacked the Noibat in my direction.

The Noibat cried out as they flew through the air towards me, and was then hit out of the air by the pokeball I had thrown.

A red light shined out of the pokeball and engulfed the small bat before sucking her inside, before falling to the ground with the center dot glowing red.

I watched as the ball shifted to the left, and then the right, before stopping. I held my breath as it sat there for a moment, before finally bobbing one more time, then, after what felt like forever, made a small _"click"_ noise, confirming I had caught the Noibat.

Jumping up in joy, I was overjoyed to have not only caught the Noibat, but also to have pulled off my first capture on my first try. Walking over, I grabbed the pokeball off the ground before attaching it to my belt.

I looked over to Ember, grinning. "Come on, let's head back to the pokemon center so we can meet our new teammate and celebrate our victory, alright?"

Ember nodded, smiling as she walked behind me as we headed back, ready to "celebrate" our victory later that night.

~ _ **Line Break ~**_

We finally arrived back at the pokemon center, and once more sat in the cafe after I had Ember and my new Noibat healed up.

Once more, I had ordered myself some food from the cafe, though I found they had more options now that it was night. Ordering myself a nice meal and Ember some better pokemon food, along with the poke beans I had gotten earlier, we enjoyed our celebration

After about an hour of relaxing and enjoying ourselves, we finally went back to our room, with me bringing back some extra pokemon food and poke beans for my new Noibat.

Once we were in the room, I put the food down before pulling out the pokeball and releasing the Noibat onto my bed.

When the light faded away, the Noibat stood on the bed, looking around in confusion. "Where am I?" She asked. "I remember the cave, looking for food again, and then the trainer, and then…"

She finally noticed me, before letting out an "eep" and jumping back off the bed in fear. "Please don't hurt me!" She called out, hiding behind the opposite side of the bed.

I knelt down on the ground, slowly approaching the side of the bed where the Noibat was. "Hey, I promise I'm not going to hurt you." I said softly and calmly. "I'm your trainer now, and I want to do whatever it takes to make you happy. Now, do you have a name?" I asked.

The Noibat poked her head around the corner, fear and mild confusion on her face. "Can you...can you understand me?" She asked slowly.

I nodded, before releasing the illusion cast upon myself, which caused the Noibat to widen her eyes. "Yes, I can. I'm not like most other trainers, but you can trust me, I promise."

The Noibat still looked a bit uncertain, but slowly began to speak. "Drift." She eventually said. "My name is Drift."

"It's nice to meet you Drift. My name is Jack, and as I said before, I'm your trainer now. This is Ember, my fist pokemon and your fellow teammate." I said, motioning to Ember, who lightly waved with a small smile.

Drift seemed to open up a bit more as she began to slowly come out from behind the bed. "It's nice to meet you." She said, before a loud grumble erupted from her belly, which she suddenly clutched as if she was in pain.

I looked at her, concerned. "Would you like some food?" I asked, and got my answer immediately as Drift's eyes widened and she quickly nodded her head.

Standing up, I motioned to the food I had placed on the ground behind me, and looked back up only to find that Drift was already running past me to get to the bowl of food as quickly as possible.

Once there, she started eating the food as quickly as possible, even letting a small noise of pure joy upon getting the first bit of food in her mouth.

I let her eat her a few minutes, wondering if she had gone some time since she had last eaten. Along with that, there was the question as to why she didn't fly like a Noibat normally was, so I decided to let her finish eating before I asked.

...Which was a lot sooner than I thought it would be, as only five minutes had passed before Drift had eaten all of the food and the poke beans (which she had let out another adorable squeal from eating).

Drift turned around, letting out a content sigh, before running over and hugging my leg. "Thank you so much for the food!" She cried out, small tears of joy forming under her eyes. "It's been so long, and and…"

"Shhh, it's okay Drift." I said, kneeling down and patting her on the head. "Though I have to ask, why haven't you eaten recently? Were you just having problems finding food or something?"

Drift sniffed before shaking her head. "No, it's not like that. As you might have guessed, I don't like using my wings." She said, raising up her wings. "Something happened to me and...I'd rather not talk about it. But I tried to start going without my wings, and life became a lot more difficult. I couldn't capture prey, I couldn't fly up to trees to get their berries, and I could no longer avoid the stronger pokemon that came around to pick on me."

I nodded, sympathetic. So she didn't like using her wings, which made her life almost impossible. This could be problematic later on, as she wouldn't be able to avoid enemy attacks as easily and wouldn't be able to use moves such as fly.

Deciding then and there that I would help Drift, I hugged the small pokemon, who froze for a moment before slowly hugging me back.

Once we were done hugging, Drift let out a small yawn, tired after having eaten so much. "Well, it's been a long day, and we have quite the journey ahead of us. How about we get some sleep, alright?"

Ember and Drift nodded, though I failed to notice the sultry grin on Ember's face.

After going through my routine of getting ready for bed and shutting off the lights, I proceeded to head to bed. Once again, Ember laid down beside me, meanwhile Drift laid atop a spare pillow I had placed on the ground.

I watched Drift for some time, making sure she was alright and that she fell asleep just fine. Once certain she was asleep, I smiled and turned around, only to be met with Ember's face right in front of mine.

"Um, you're a bit close Ember." I said, as she was only inches away from my face. She had a small smile on her face and a look I didn't recognize.

I was beginning to get a bit unnerved from her look before she quickly pushed her face forwards, connecting her lips to mine. My eyes opened wide as warmth invaded my lips, and realization as to what was happening crossed my mind.

" _Ember is kissing me!"_ I thought, not understand what was happening right now in the slightest.

As I continued to try and process what exactly was happening, Ember pushed forwards even more, her long, flat tongue beginning to invade my mouth.

Now, this whole experience was shocking for me for a multitude of reasons. First off, Ember was kissing me, which already was shocking enough for several reasons. Firstly, she was my friend and partner who I had only known for about four days now, and I had only been in the pokemon world for five days now!

Secondly, she was a pokemon! Sure, I knew that pokephilia was a thing back home, but I had never really found it interesting and I definitely wasn't a pokephiliac. I also didn't know how this world treated pokephiliacs, and whether or not I was doing something illegal right now by being kissed by Ember.

Now, aside from all the reasons about Ember specifically, there was also another factor that was keeping me frozen solid as Ember's dog like tongue invaded every corner of my mouth: I had never kissed anyone before.

As Ember invaded my mouth, I could only think about back home. There, I had never really been all that social, usually only talking other people during school projects. This especially went with girls as I had become extremely shy around them growing up.

During junior high, I had begun to find girls interesting, like most teenage boys do. However, after enough time passed, I realized that it was just lust coursing through my veins, and with no social abilities whatsoever, I eventually decided to just ignore girls for the moment, wanting to have an actual relationship one day.

When I was in my later years of high school, I once again began thinking of girls, but realized that having a late relationship would probably lead to a short lived relationship that would only last through the last years of school. With this in mind, I decided to wait for college and seek a relationship then.

There were several factors I didn't include in this plan, such as how I still couldn't talk to girls thanks to my shyness, college kept me more busy than highschool did and I didn't really get any chances to talk to anyone, and finally there were even less girls than during school that seemed openly interested in relationships, none of which held the same interests as I did.

With this in mind, I was still quite inexperienced with kissing, along with anything...past that.

Finally, when I thought I was going to run out of breath, Ember finally pulled away, leaving a sweet taste created from the poke beans she had eaten earlier in my mouth.

We both panted, trying to get air back into our lungs. "Ember...What?...Why?..."

Ember made a sultry smile as she held a paw up to my mouth. "Shush, Jack. You can ask all the questions after we're done." I looked at her, confusion from her statement as she began to crawl down me. "We've only just started though."

My eyes widened, and I went to try and stop her, but Ember was already pulling at my night pants, struggling to get them off.

( _For those of you just interested in the story, and don't want any sex scenes that I'm questioning my life for writing, go ahead and skip ahead to the next line break)_

Ember managed to get my pants off before I could stop her, and my half erect penis came springing forwards. Now, I had never considered myself that large, but I could be considered a little above average with my barely over seven in penis.

However, Ember seemed to think it was large enough, as an overjoyed look came over her face. "It looks so much larger close up." She whispered, nudging her face close to it.

I placed a hand against Ember's head, trying to push her away. "Ember, please, don't do this! We've only known each other for a few days and-"

Ember once more placed a paw against my mouth, shushing me. "Shh, trust me Jack. I just want to make you feel good as thanks for everything you've done for me. And we were victorious earlier today, so how about you start enjoying your reward~"

As she said this, she turned around, presenting herself to me as her legs went over my head and her legs sat on either side next to me.

Staring ahead revealed Ember's pussy, which was a now small pink line sticking out from her black fur.

I blushed upon realization as to what I was looking at, and immediately turned my head away. As Ember's warm breath brushed against my crotch, I finally decided enough was enough, and went to push Ember off of me.

However, as I began pulling up my arms and went to grab Ember's legs, I stopped as a strange smell crossed my nose. It was thick and heavy, and the only word I could use to describe it was musky.

Upon smelling the odd aroma, my eyes began to glaze over as my eyelids drooped, the blush on my face growing as I began to pant, which only made me breath in more of the strange yet enticing aroma.

I was no longer in control of myself, yet I was still aware enough that I was able to remember all of this.

As I began to react to the new aroma, Ember had already gotten to work, taking long, slow licks from the base all the way to the top of my cock. She kept her pace slow, making sure to take in as much flavor from me as possible.

When I began to dribble pre, I had finally become overcome by my new sudden urges to mate and to fuck, and to take the needy Braixen that was in heat atop of me.

Grabbing each of her legs, I pushed my mouth forward, before returning the favor from Ember and taking a nice, long lick across her lower lips.

Ember let out a small squeak, before looking back at me with a grin on her face. "I knew you would enjoy this Jack!" She said, before letting out a small moan as I took another lick. "Ooh, go deeper~"

I complied, sticking my neck further forwards and taking a deep sniff of the source of the enticing scent, before sticking my tongue out enough that they pushed her lips aside, granting me entrance to her inner depths.

As Ember moaned out, she took advantage of the fact that her mouth was open and lowered her lips onto my dick.

This is how we started, and how we went for a while. I would stick my tongue in and around her now moistening nether lips, her sweet yet slightly bitter taste coating my tongue and mouth.

Meanwhile, Ember would go down on my penis, taking in as much as she could into her mouth while sucking at it, trying to get as much of its salty contents out of its depths and into her mouth as possible. She was able to get most of it into her mouth before stopping as it hit the back of her throat, as her muzzle gave her an extra inch or two of an advantage.

As we each went lower and and deeper into each other, we would cause each other to moan out or shiver in pleasure, which only made the other person want to go deeper to give them more pleasure.

After about twenty minutes, we were both panting and gasping for breath, neither of us having much experience to keep us from releasing later rather than sooner.

Soon enough, we both moaned out loud, with Ember's juices beginning to squirt out from her pussy and onto my lips. A moment later, I released as well, filling Ember's mouth with my virgin cum.

Ember's mouth filled up as she tried to swallow the salty substance, finding great pleasure in the taste purely because it had been made by her causing me pleasure. Thankfully, I produced only a little bit more than average as I had been pent up for a while, so Ember was able to successfully swallow most of it, with only a little bit leaking out and onto her lips.

Once we were both done cumming, we both laid down for a moment, panting while we went through the euphoria that was coursing through our veins.

Ember was first to recover, as she looked over her shoulder at me. "That...was one of the best feelings...in my life!"

I could only pant, the smell coming from her stronger than ever as she climbed around and repositioned herself atop of me, now with her face facing mine and her lips teased the top of my once again semi erect member, which was quickly recovering due to the scent and her teasing.

"If just the warm-up felt that good, then _this,"_ she said, pushing herself back a bit and making my dick bend against her nethers, "Should feel fantastic."

Ember then pulled herself down a little bit while I continued to let her use my penis as she pleased. Reaching around, she gripped my now once more erect dick with her paws, which felt nice and soft against my rod as she better positioned it against her entrance.

Once she was certain it was pushing right against her tight hole, she began pushing herself further down against me, trying to get my penis to enter her. After much resistance, which was causing my dick to bend and almost hurt, it finally pushed itself inside of her, though only the tip.

Even then, Ember gasped out in a mixture of pleasure and slight pain, her hole having no experience with any objects this large before. Sure, I hadn't even reached her hymen yet, but I was still much larger than her (as Ember was only three feet tall), so her body wasn't meant for such large intrusions.

After a moment of panting, with me keeping my eyes closed shut as her pussy gripped tightly against the head of my dick, Ember finally began pushing more and more of my length into her, slowly but surely.

However, after only an inch and a half of my length was inside of her, Ember let out a yelp of pain as I once more met resistance, this time inside of her in the form of her hymen.

With bestial instincts filling my mind, and Ember not able to do anything but squeeze the top of my dick, I proceeded to grab her two legs that were on either side of me.

Ember had finally recovered enough from the pain to realize I had moved again, and only had time to look at me in confusion before I pulled her legs down, forcing my penis to go more than halfway into her after tearing through her hymen.

Eyes wide and mouth agape, Ember could only stare upwards as tears formed under her eyes. Looking down, I could see a bit of blood leaking out of her lips past my dick, which caused my mind to lightly look past Ember's scent, and some of my real compassion to return.

I waited for Ember to recover, which took a few minutes as she was still reeling from the pain. "That...that hurt more than the bite from that Rattata earlier…" Ember whispered out. (If this were true, then Ember would have just lost more than half her health).

"But...but keep going. I'm ready to make you feel even better master~" Once more, she had called me master, the pain and pleasure in her mind causing her to forget what I had asked of her earlier.

My clouded mind didn't need her to say any more, as I thrusted even more into her before pulling back. Once only the head of my dick was in her, I would thrust back in, and with every thrust, I began to get deeper and deeper into her.

At first, Ember winced in pain, but as time went on, she began to pant like I was, and soon she was moving her hips in an attempt to get more of my length into her. Several minutes after that, she was moaning once more, now barely noticing the pain through the pleasure that was being made for her.

Finally, with a powerful thrust, I managed to get my whole length inside of Ember, which made her moan in pleasure while also wincing in pain, as for the third time in thirty minutes, I was met with resistance, though this time in the form of her cervix.

Neither of us knew or cared about this detail at this point, as I continued to thrust in and out of her, with Ember's lips clamping around tightly around my dick as she came once again.

Once she had finished cumming, with her pussy squeezing my dick in all the right places, I was finally ready to cum again myself. With my mind only focused on pleasing Ember, I thrusted with great force several times before once again bottoming out inside her, my warm seed spilling out in and around her cervix.

Ember once again moaned out, before collapsing atop of me, having fainted in pleasure. My mind grew exhausted from a mixture of staying up so long as well having come twice, and as my dick slipped out of her lips, followed by a small trail of cum, I fell asleep as well.

 _ **~Line Break~**_

I woke up the next morning with a splitting headache and my mouth dry. I licked my lips as I got up trying to think of why I would be so dehydrated, and as I reached the bathroom and got myself a glass of water, my eyes widened in shock as I remembered everything.

Almost dropping the glass in shock, I looked down at myself to realize I didn't have my night pants on, and that my penis was sore.

I was starting to panic, and knew I needed to go and take some time to think. Moving slowly, I went back into the room and began getting dressed.

Once I was changed, I began slowly making my way over to the door. I was stopped however when I heard a yawn from behind me. Turning around, I realized it was just Drift waking up, and I thought whether or not I should take her with me.

Shaking my head, I realized I couldn't be with any pokemon right now, and so I edged my way to Drift slowly, before whispering to her as she stared up at me with a confused and tired look.

" _Drift, I'm headed out for a bit. I'll be back in a while, though I don't know how long. If Ember asks, just tell her I'm getting food for you two, okay?"_

" _Will you actually get us food?"_ Drift asked, whispering back to me as she licked her lips in anticipation for food.

I laughed lightly, before nodding. " _Yes, I'll get you some food."_ I then proceeded to stand up, before turning around towards the door.

" _Yawn~_ Ah, good morning Jack." Ember said, blinking her eyes awake as she smiled towards me, meanwhile I had frozen with my eyes wide and my heart racing. "Last night was _great_. What did you think?"

I didn't respond, as I was rushing towards the door, and Ember could only watch in worry and confusion as I slammed the door open, and then shut just as quickly as I exited.

Ember stared at the door for a moment, wondering what had just happened before turning to Drift, who also looked worried, though for a different reason.

"I think it's going to be a while before he comes back with food."


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter 7: Thoughts, Decisions, and a Training Montage_

 _Do you know what it feels like to be truly betrayed? That someone you thought of as a friend would use you for their own personal gains?_

 _The feeling is crushing and destructive, and eats you from the inside out. For a while, you have trouble trusting others, afraid of experiencing the same thing again, and you wonder if you'll ever be able to trust the person who betrayed you again._

 _This is how I felt as I sat behind the pokemon center, sitting on the edge of the cliff as I stared at the ocean. I wondered if I would be able to trust Ember again after what she had just done, and if I would even be able to continue my pokemon journey._

"I don't believe it was entirely Ember's fault." _Dusk had been saying. She had been comforting me after everything that had happened, and had a theory as to what had occured._

 _Dusk believed that Ember's evolution had put her in a temporary heat, which would explain the scent that had thrown me over the edge, and I reacted as a male pokemon would have due to how I was part Zorua._

 _However, I didn't care about her explanation, and could only stare straight forward, my mind shaken and confused._

 _Ember had done the equivalent of_ raping _me. She had taken my virginity without my consent, and only seemed to care about how she felt during it rather than how I felt._

 _I closed my eyes, tears mildly forming as my hands balled into fists, before I slammed them into the ground, not noticing the indents I created with increased strength. "Why does all of this have to happen to me?" I thought._

 _First I died, in an alleyway no less, and I wasn't even able to say goodbye to my family. Then, when things looked liked they were about to get better as I was brought to this world, I was kidnapped and put through a painful experiment. Once again, things started looking up as I became a trainer, only for me to be raped by my pokemon._

 _I placed my head in my hands, realizing all of this had only happened in five days. It hadn't even been a week yet, and I had already been through so much. Staring at the ground, I honestly wondered if I would actually be able to live in this world peacefully._

 _However, one good thing would come from all of this, as I was about to meet my next companion, who would help me through some of this trauma as I helped him with his._

While I continued to try and collect my thoughts, I heard some soft footsteps come from my right, where I had come from. "Oh, a human." I heard a soft, saddened young male voice say.

Looking to my right, I saw a sad looking Alolan Vulpix, his ears low and six tails dragging along the ground. "I'll just come back later…"

As the Vulpix turned around slowly, I spoke up. "No, you can stay." I said, turning my head back to the ocean. "There's plenty of space here, and you look like you need to be here as much as I do." I laughed softly, though didn't actually feel any humor at the moment. "And before you ask, yes I can understand you."

The Vulpix was silent, standing still for a moment before slowly walking up beside me and sitting down, staring towards the ocean as well.

Neither of us said anything for the longest time, both of us content to just sit there and listen to the calm waves of the ocean. The Vulpix was actually the first to speak up, though he was still as quiet as before.

"I don't trust humans anymore." He said. "They're always looking out for themselves, always wanting to get stronger and to have what they consider the best pokemon. But if you're not strong enough, or not good enough for them, they'll just abandon you."

"How long have you been here, listening to the ocean?" I asked.

"About two years now." He said. "My trainer came here one day, and just left without my ball. The staff released me, but they didn't even consider that this isn't even the right island I'm supposed to be on. With nowhere to go, I just stayed here, and have found the ocean's sounds are quite calming."

"Has it helped?" I asked, getting a slight questionable look from the Vulpix. "Listening to the ocean for so long. Do you feel any better?"

The Vulpix was silent for a minute after that, before finally answering. "No, it hasn't. There are days I just want to leave, to try and move on with my life and try to either go home or find a new trainer who will appreciate me. But I don't have the strength to leave myself, and I don't trust any human enough to be my trainer."

"What about you? Why are you listening to the ocean waves?" He asked.

I was quiet, before sighing and releasing my illusion, revealing my ears and tail. However, the Vulpix stayed quiet as I began to talk. "It's been a _long_ five days. Mind if I vent?"

The Vulpix shook his head. "Not at all. I just talked to you about my problems after all."

I smiled softly for a moment before my smile vanished, and I started from the beginning. And by the beginning, I meant _the beginning_ , starting from when I had died in my world. I'm not sure if the Vulpix believed me or not, but with the serious expression on my face and tone in my voice, I think he knew I was completely serious.

When I finally finished, ending with how Ember had raped me, the Vulpix let out a long, low whistle. "Wow." He said. "That's a lot to take in."

I nodded, agreeing with the statement. "And it's only been five days." I said shaking my head as I stared down at the ground. "I just don't know if I can keep going at this rate. I want to be a trainer, but if this is the pain I'm going to go through because of it, I don't think it's worth it."

The Vulpix was silent for a moment, and I wondered what he would say next, if he would say anything at all. However, instead of saying anything, he kept quiet as he placed a paw against my leg in a form of comfort.

"I can't say I know what will happen, but you can't give up on your dreams. Sure, you had some bad experiences in such a short time, but things will get better if you keep moving forward. I wish I had figured that out sooner."

Sitting there, I thought about what the Vulpix was saying. He made sense, and even after everything that had happened, I knew he was right, and I needed to keep striving to become the pokemon master. After all, I had my first Grand Trial next, which would mark the technical first quarter of my Alolan journey complete.

I smiled, looking up at the Vulpix, who was also looking better than he had when we first met. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks…."

"Frost." He said, holding out a paw, which I took and shook. "You're welcome. Being here for so long...it's given me a long time to think about some things."

Nodding, I stood up, ready to leave and go back to my room. However, before I left…"Would you like to come with me?" I asked Frost. "I can't promise it'll be easy, but I can promise you would be a large help to me and my team."

Frost looked uncertain for a moment, before thinking about what he had just said. Realizing now might be his last chance to meet a good trainer and finally leave this island.

Nodding slowly, Frost smiled up at me. "Yes, I think I would."

"Alright. Come on then. We'll head on back to my room so we can get you a pokeball, okay?"

"Okay then." And with that, Frost and I made our way back around to the front of the pokemon center, with me casting illusion upon myself to hide my tail and ears.

Soon, I would have to face Ember and confront her about what happened. It wouldn't be easy for me, especially since I would have to stay calm about it or end up upsetting Ember. Sure, I was upset about what had happened, but Dusk's words finally got through to me and I realize it wasn't fully her fault.

It would still be a difficult task though, and I would have to must up all of my courage before I talked to her.

But first, I had to get some food for Drift.

 _ **~Line Break~**_

"So since Dusk is inside your head, she can not only hear your thoughts, but also hear everything you hear?" Frost asked as we walked back to my room.

I nodded. "That's right. She can still hear, smell, taste, feel and see everything I do. According to her, it's a bit like an out of body experience, like she's experiencing everything but isn't in control. She can still think for herself though, and talk to me as well, though she is very quiet when she does."

Frost cocked his head, thinking. "That's kinda scary to think about. I mean, imagine being trapped in such a way for the rest of your life. I don't think I'd be able to live like that."

" _I honestly don't mind."_ Dusk said to me. _"It's actually a lot better than others would think, since I don't have to do anything and nothing is really expected of me. There are times I wish I could stretch my legs, but it honestly isn't that bad."_

Nodding, I relayed the information to Frost as we approached the door to my room. With one of my hands full of a bag of food, I pulled out my keycard (which had been given to me upon check-in, and would be return on check-out) I prepared to open the door.

However, I froze, with the keycard inches away from the card slot. Would I really be able to go through with this? Could I actually confront Ember so soon after what she had done to me?

 _"You won't know until you try, and waiting any longer will just cause Ember to worry even more than probably already is right now. Just go in there and get it over with."_

 _"Alright."_ I thought as I slid the card through the slot, unlocking the door with a small _"click"_ , " _Let's get this over with then."_

I opened the room door, and was greeted to the sight of Drift trying to figure out how to open the fridge door (which was empty since there was no food in it), and Ember was sitting on the edge of the bed, her head resting on her hands as she sat there.

Both looked up and over to me as I opened the door, and both let out a happy "Jack!" upon seeing me.

Drift ran over to me, and then looked at the bag in my hand. "Is that food?" she asked, sounding hopeful as I walked inside and closed the door after Frost followed me in.

"Yes it is. Give me a moment to get it out." I said as I placed the food atop some counter space in the room. "However, Ember and I need to have a talk before we eat." I said, looking over at the Braixen in question, making sure I sounded serious.

Ember seemed to notice, and she nodded her head though looked uncertain due to how suddenly I had left this morning mixed with my serious attitude.

Taking out the pokemon food, I placed two bowls down on the ground for Drift and Frost, and placed one to the side for Ember and a plate of normal breakfast for me for once we were done talking.

"Oh, I haven't met you yet. Hi, I'm Drift!" Drift said, introducing herself to Frost. I was glad that she seemed a lot more open and happy now that she was more comfortable with us. Hopefully with time, we'd even be able to get her flying again.

But I couldn't focus on that at the moment. Instead, as Drift and Frost began to get to know one another, I walked to the opposite side of the room, waving my hand to Ember showing her to follow me, which she complied and did.

I sat down on the edge of the bed, staring straight ahead at the wall in front of me. Ember followed suite, sitting down next to me, which almost made me flinch, but I managed to restrain myself.

I was silent for a moment, and the longer I was silent, the more worried Ember continued to look. Finally, after a minute had passed, she spoke up. "Jack? Did I do something wrong? If this is about last night, then-"

"Yes, it's about last night." I said, interrupting her while I continued to stare at the wall. "You crossed a line Ember, though I know it wasn't entirely your fault. However, you still fucked me without my consent, and that was not alright."

"What do you mean, without your consent?" She asked, sounding confused. "You seemed to consent when you stuffed your tongue up my-"

"I wasn't in my right mind!" I nearly shouted, causing Ember to flinch as I tried to calm myself. I took a deep breath, before continuing. "The pheromones you excreted from being in a form of heat affected me Ember, since I'm half Zorua. I've never experienced anything like it before, and thus had no resistance to it. So when your scent entered my nose-"

"Your instincts took over instead…" Ember finished for me, sounding concerned and mildly frightened. "So when I...and then when you...and..and…" Ember couldn't speak, realization coming over her.

"Yes. In a sense, you raped me Ember."

The world seemed to freeze for a moment, especially for Ember, whose heart froze at the full realization as the words seemed to slap her in the face. Tears formed under her eyes, and she began to hyperventilate as she turned towards me.

"Jack...I'm...I'm so sorry….I'd would never mean to hurt you….I just wanted to make you feel good and….and the _urges_ ….and you had helped me so much, I thought...I'd thought that since you helped me before...you'd help me then….and we'd both feel good and...and...AND I'M SO SORRY!"

Ember then proceeded to burst into tears, crying right beside me. I finally looked away from the wall, turning my head towards Ember's sobbing form. I wanted to feel bad, to feel regret for making her feel this way.

Instead, I felt nothing.

I didn't feel anger for her making herself feel like a victim as well. I didn't feel sadness from her tears. I didn't even feel thankful that she wouldn't have done this had she been in her right mind.

However, I didn't feel anything. At first, I could only look at Ember as she sobbed with a blank stare. I had no emotion, and I had no idea how to react in this situation. Thinking back, I believe my shock of being raped was being canceled out by my kindness and compassion, and with my emotions canceling each out, I felt...nothing.

I couldn't sit there forever though. Slowly, I moved my arms, moving them around Ember carefully, before fully wrapping her in a hug.

"Ja...Jack?" Ember questioned as I squeezed myself against her fur.

"I can't forgive you yet Ember." I said, which I knew was bringing more tears to Ember's eyes. "But I can try. But we need to continue our journey, and just try to forget about what happened. What's done is done, and even though we can't change what happened, we can at least make sure it doesn't happen again."

"You should just let me go." Ember said, though sounded like she was choking on her words as she said so. "What I did…"

"Can't be changed. But Ember, look at me." I said, pulling her head up and staring her in her deep red-orange eyes. "I may not forgive you now, but know that I will never let go, alright?"

Tears welled up under her eyes as she nodded, before burying herself against my chest. "I'm so sorry Jack!" I patted her back, allowing her to cry, and I felt a soft smile come to me as I looked down at her.

" _I may not be able to fully forgive her now...But one day I know I will. We'll still be partners, but it's going to take a lot for her to make it up to me. As I look at her now though, I know that she'll definitely try to earn my forgiveness, and for now, that's all that matters."_

Once I deemed we had hugged for long enough, and Ember was finally able to get ahold of her emotions, I finally let go of the hug and tried to get up. After a moment of holding onto me, Ember let go as well, before jumping off the bed and walking towards the dining area of the room.

"...and that's why I'll be joining Jack and the rest of you." Frost finished explaining to Drift. Drift smiled and nodded at Frost as she shoved more food in her mouth, before noticing Ember and myself walking over.

"Ember, come and meet Frost!" Drift said after swallowing the food that was in her mouth. "He's new here, just like me!"

A soft smile came over Ember's face, and she walked over and sat down by her food with the others, beginning to introduce herself to Frost.

I smiled at this, glad that some problems were being resolved as I went to eat my own food. I was also glad that all of my pokemon seemed to be getting along with each other as well, which was a mild blessing. After all, I don't think I could take the added stress if my pokemon hated one another.

As we ate, I began to think about what we would need to do before the Grand Trial. There would have to be a lot of preparations involved, including getting Frost and Drift up to level with Ember, and then to train them a bit more so we'd be ready for Hala.

However, there was only a single route left between us and Hala, Route 3, so we'd have to make the most of any trainers and wild pokemon we run into on the way. I wasn't too worried about level though with Ember, but I was a tad worried with Hala's Crabrawler which had the potential to use water type moves.

All of Hala's pokemon are fighting types, making them weak to flying, psychic and fairy type moves. However, Ember wouldn't learn a psychic move for another level, and could be hurt by his Makuhita if they knew any ground or rock moves as well as the Crabrawler's potential water attacks.

I would use Frost for fairy type attacks, but he's weak to fighting by being an ice type and doesn't know any fairy moves yet. To be perfectly honest, it would be best if Frost were to sit this fight out, unless I wanted him to get hurt.

Drift would be the best option to fight here. As a flying pokemon, she had an advantage against Hala's fighting types, is resistant to fighting attacks, and would normally be able to avoid most attacks coming her way as she'd be in the air while Hala's pokemon would be stuck on the ground.

That was the main problem with this strategy though: Drift doesn't fly. Also, after having watched her run and walk around since meeting her, I could tell she was extremely slow while on the ground, as her legs weren't that large compared to her body. This would not only leave her exposed, but it would give make getting hits on Hala's pokemon difficult as well.

I decided that I would have to come up with new strategies for battling with Drift, at least until I could convince her to fly. However, upon hearing how she didn't want to fly the previous night, I could tell that it would take some time and convincing before she would be in the air.

With breakfast done, and my mind sorted, I cleaned the dishes, gathered up all my gear, and prepared to leave the room. However, as we all stood before the door with my bag sitting next to me, I turned to Frost as I pulled at a pokeball.

"So, you certain you want to travel with us?" I asked him, in which he quickly nodded.

"Of course. I can't make myself stay here any longer, and I've already introduced myself to you, Ember and Drift, so there would be no point in me not joining."

I smiled, before clicking the button on the ball and lightly tossing it towards Frost. It hit him lightly on the head before opening up and shooting out the red light, which quickly engulfed and pulled him into it.

A moment later, the ball landed on the ground, before immediately clicking shut. I proceeded to grab the ball from the ground before hitting the release button, letting Frost back out before placing his ball into one of the slots on my belt.

With that done, we left the room and proceeded to check out from the pokemon center. As we stood outside, ready to leave and make our way towards Route 3, I decided to pull out my pokedex and check on Drift and Frost's stats, as I hadn't check to see just how much training we'd need to get them up with Ember.

Clicking the pokemon option on the dex, I was greeted to the sight of my three pokemon in little icon forms. All were at full health, with Ember followed by Drift, with Frost at the end. Ember was still level sixteen, and looking at Drift, I saw she was only level nine, so it would take so training before she would be ready.

However, as my gaze fell over to Frost's icon, I almost tripped as my moving foot froze with the rest of my, shocked by what I was seeing. Next to Frost's icon was his level, which I had to rub my eyes after seeing it to make sure I wasn't hallucinating.

This is because Frost was already level forty three.

"Frost….how are you such a high level?" I asked him as the three looked up at me in concern after I had frozen.

Looking away, Frost sheepishly rubbed one of his front paws against the opposite leg. "I'd...rather not talk about it. Let's just say my last trainer was….different, and leave it at that please."

I was going to say something, but noticing the look and Frost's face, I decided to leave him be. "Alright. Just know that it'll probably be a while before you battle though. You'll just have to be our secret weapon for the moment, that's all."

Frost smiled at the last part, looking a bit better as we began to move again. "I'm alright with not battling for a bit." Frost said. "It's going to be a while before I remember how to use all my moves again anyway."

"So just how strong are you, huh!?" Drift said excitedly, jumping over to Frost. "Like, Raticate strong, Rhydon strong, Tyranitar strong, or Groudon strong?"

Frost chuckled at Drift's excitement. "Definitely not Tyranitar strong, and I'll never be as strong as Groudon. Close to around Rhydon strong, I guess."

Ember's eyes opened a bit, impressed, while Drift just gasped in surprise. "Wow, that's amazing! Can you tell me what it's like being so strong, or even better yet, tell me how to get that strong!"

Frost frowned a little at the second part, but quickly replaced it with a calm smile before talking about different types of battles with Drift. Ember listened in, but I was busy messing around on the pokedex to notice as we walked.

As we walked, I had found a internet browser option on the pokedex, making me wonder if at this rate it was just some kind of advanced phone at this point. However, after making sure that it had a form of incognito mode (which was marked as "Gengar Mode" as some kind of play on the fact he's the shadow pokemon).

Doing some digging, I began to look up the laws of the pokemon world, and more specifically, if what Ember had done to me the previous night was illegal or not. After about half an hour of research, along with us finally approaching Route 3, I finally had all the information I needed.

In short, what had occured the previous night was one of the largest controversies of the pokemon world, and whether it was illegal or not depended entirely on where you were. Each region had specific laws about it, with it being illegal in Johto, a mild offense in Kanto, and completely fine in Hoenn.

Here in the Alola region, things get tricky. It depended entirely on which island you were on, and how open you were about it. This is due to how the two largest islands, Akala and Ula'Ula, had the largest support and anti pokephils groups in the world.

On Akala, you could kiss your pokemon in the open and people would cheer for you two. On Ula'Ula, you'd get arrested on the spot and have your pokemon taken from you.

Due to this, Poni and Melemele islands were completely neutral to the subject, as there were both people who opposed and supported the idea on both islands. This often led to small riots in the cities of the islands if a display of affection were to occur in public, and the two groups were to see.

In essence, I hadn't done anything wrong here, but I would have to be more careful in the future if anything like this were to happen again, as it could attract the wrong kind of attention. After all, after reading through the laws, the pokemon usually got off fine. It was the trainers that would lose their license, pokemon and possibly go to jail for the offense.

I sighed, another subject crossing my mind: What would I do if this were to happen again?

With Ember, I believed that there wouldn't be any more problems, or at least I hoped. As for the others, Drift seemed to playful to know anything about sex, and Frost seemed to serious, and if I had to guess, straight, so I wouldn't have to worry about that from him.

As for me, I wasn't really interested in pokemon. Sure, some did look nice, but as I had mentioned before, I wasn't attracted to them. I was still really only interested in humans, so hopefully if I was careful, this wouldn't ever be a problem again.

While I put my pokedex away, I began to think on love. Would I want to try and find a companion while on this journey? As mentioned with my past relationships, I never really found one. I've always wanted a girlfriend, but the opportunity never really presented itself.

" _I suppose it could be something to keep in mind."_ I thought to myself as we walked through the trial gate, beginning our trek into the mountainous area of Route 3. _"I wouldn't mind finally getting a girlfriend. But just like back home, I'll have to find the right person first."_

With my thoughts collected, I fully gathered myself and began the journey down Route 3,

ready to take on any challenge so we'd all be ready for the Grand Trial against Hala.

 _ **~Line Break~**_

 _Meanwhile, in a secret location somewhere between Poni and Melemele island, a meeting is held._

 _This meeting is secret, with only the eight occupants of the room who's features remain hidden in the darkness know of it being held. All of the figures sit around a round oval table, with four chairs on either side. A single seat remains empty at the head of the table, though none of the people expected it to be filled that day._

 _A single light shines on the center of the table, revealing a complex symbol that resembles the letter "D", but casts a strange feeling of fear from any who were to see it._

"I believe we all know what must be discussed next." _A deep man's voice says, coming from the shadow of a large figure in the room. This was not the start of the meeting, for it had been going for hours now._

"Yes, we must discuss of what must happen to Rook." _A quiet and hoarse voice said, coming from a hunched over figure. "_ He has failed us again, and this time even allowed himself to be captured."

"He must be eliminated as soon as possible." _A serious woman's voice said, coming from a shadow of a woman who, even in the dark, held much authority in her voice and the straight posture she held in the darkness._ "With a small team, it can be done in hours, and if it's my team, we can even make it look like an accident."

"That would be the best option." _An almost childlike voice said, coming from the smallest shadow in the room._ "But even then, we have to remember that he didn't completely fail us."

"The boy." _A voice practically hissed, coming from the skinny silhouette of a shadowed man. "_ Rook actually ssssuccceeded in his experiment. But the boy essscaped before he could be given to ussss."

"So what if some kid is part Zorua. Big whoop." _A slouched figure said in a feminine voice._ "There's nothing that he can do that our teams can't do better. You want a trainer, go to Team Expedition. A research mission, Team Inquiry. Stealth, Team S. Really, must I go on?"

"Yes, but we could still use him, if not to at least give his abilities to our agents." _A quiet, sad sounding voice said from an average appearing shadow._ "Even if he's not useful himself, we can still use him ourselves."

"And that's why my team is looking for any new residents of the islands!" _An excited voice said, coming from the final shadow that moved up and down in the shadows of the room. "_ However, old Rook didn't give us much to go on other than he's male, so if you could question him _before_ you kill him, it would save my team a lot of work!"

"I'll think about it." _The serious woman's voice said, with a small amount of distaste coming forth through speaking to the excited figure. "_ But perhaps if your team took things more seriously, you wouldn't _need_ the extra information."

"Oh chillax already." _The slouched figure said._ "You're always giving everyone such a hard time, hardass. Now, can we end this meeting already? I have like, three naps I need to get back to."

"Alright." _The strong male voice said._ "With Rook's fate decided, and the boy to be hunted, and all other matters having been discussed, this meeting of The Deprived comes to a close."

 _All of the figures nodded, before each scooted away from the table and left into the shadows, and a moment later, the single light bulb in the room turning off, sealing the group's decisions in the darkness._

 _ **~Line Break~**_

After several hours of traveling and battling, we finally found a small clearing in the mountainside of the Route to set up camp in. Even though the sun was still out, we were all exhausted from the travel, and it would be dark soon anyway, so there was little point to not set up camp.

Looking over the pokedex, I sighed, wishing we had made more progress then we had. Ember had gained one level, putting her at seventeen and now knowing psybeam (along with having known flame charge at level fourteen, which would have been nice to know earlier), but it was Drift that had been what I was concerned about.

We had come across a Cutiefly, which should have been an extremely simple battle for Drift. However, Drift couldn't move around fast enough to hit the Cutiefly with a tackle, and so we had to slowly take its health down with absorb, as Drift only needed to see Cutiefly to do that.

Battles after that revealed the same to happen thing to occur with the move supersonic as well, meaning we couldn't even confuse our enemies unless they stood still directly in front of Drift.

The only reason we were able to level Drift up to level twelve by now was by slowly taking opponents down with absorb, or to send in Ember to finish the battle and give them both shared experience.

I rubbed my head with my hands, wondering what I was going to do. I realized I would need to talk Drift into flying, but seeing as it had only been a single day, I doubted she would be willing to open up about her problems yet.

As I sat and thought, I remembered what had happened with Ember, back when she froze in front of the Metapod. I had been able to see her past, and the memory that had caused her fear at that moment. If I could have that happen with Drift, I wouldn't need to specifically ask her about it, and I could even help her without her realizing I knew whatever her problem was.

The only issue with that plan was that I had no idea how to do it. What had occured with Ember was by sheer accident, and I had no idea how to repeat it. Looking over at Drift, wondering if it was just eye contact, I watched her as she talked and joked with Ember and Frost.

Her eyes crossed and stared directly into mine for a moment before turning to look at Ember, and I knew that wasn't it, or at least that wasn't enough.

Pulling out food for everyone, I realized I needed to figure out more of my abilities. However, with the sun setting over the horizon, I realized that one training montage for my pokemon partners was enough for the day, and so we finished setting up camp before preparing to go to sleep.

As I laid down on my sleeping bag, I thought out what would have to go down tomorrow. Somehow, I would need to train Drift up to level fifteen at least, which would be another three levels with the remaining quarter of the route left.

Then, we would have to face Hala in the Grand Trial. I was only planning on using Ember and Drift, as I didn't want to have to use Frost as it felt like cheating in a way. Even then, it would be quite the challenge, as Ember would be weak to Crabrawler, and Drift could only hit targets with absorb unless they were stationary.

Sighing, I began drifting off to sleep, with the others already in their pokeballs except for Frost, who insisted on staying out of his ball to keep watch until he was certain that the campsite was safe.

I shrugged when he had asked, and while I began to sleep, I felt glad that such a small yet powerful pokemon was helping keep me safe, and for the first time in several nights, I fell asleep feeling a bit more at ease, ready for the challenges of the coming days.


	8. Chapter 8

_Chapter Eight: The First Grand Trial and Reflections_

 _You know that feeling you get right before finals in school? The one you get when you're approaching the schoolroom of your first test and you're just thinking to yourself, "_ Well crap, I wonder if I'll still be able to pass this even though I only did assignments and never actually studied."

 _Alright, that might have been a tad specific, but you probably still know the feeling I'm talking about. The one where, even if you're as prepared as possible for the upcoming challenge, you still don't know if you'll succeed._

 _In my opinion, it's a horrible feeling. Your gut tightens, your breathing shortens as panic slowly sets in, and then when the test is presented to you, you can only hope for the best and try to succeed as you go to the first question._

 _Now, it's entirely possible you've never had this feeling before. After all, not everybody has or has felt anxiety. I, however, was one of the millions of people that did, and I experienced many moments like this growing up._

 _My anxiety calmed down with age, and I hadn't had a panic attack in years, though that didn't stop me from feeling anxious as my team and I slowly made our way back to Iki town._

 _"_ What would happen if I failed the battle?" _I thought to myself, growing nervous as I called Drift back to me, congratulating her as she leveled up again, though it had taken half the day to get to where she was now._

 _Pulling out the pokedex, I could feel my anxiety ease a little after looking over my team's stats. Ember and Frost hadn't leveled up at all yet, but Drift had finally reached level fifteen after several hours of battling._

 _This would put her about even with Hala's pokemon, if I remembered the game correctly. However, I usually made sure to get my pokemon a few levels higher, just in case, though as the end of Route 3 came into view, I realised that wouldn't happen unless I backtracked._

"You really shouldn't worry so much on these things." _Dusk said quietly in my head._ "What happens happens. You know that the others will fight their hardest no matter what, even if you refuse to let Frost battle for the time being. Even if you fail, they will still try their hardest again the next time."

 _I smiled as I walked, now feeling a bit more confident. "_ Thanks Dusk." _I thought, in which I felt like I could tell that if she could, Dusk would be smiling as well._

 _With my anxiety more under control, and my confidence feeling better by the moment, I continued my journey with my pokemon by my side and Dusk in my head ready to support me through the upcoming challenges._

 _ **~Line Break~**_

 __We finally found ourselves once more in front of Iki town, with Ember to my left and Drift and Frost to my right. As we stood stood outside the town gates, I could only wonder if I was truly ready for this. After all, this would mean that my first journey would be about a quarter of the way over, and we were only eight chapters into the story!

 _"Wait, what story?"_ Dusk asked, in which I looked at the ground in confusion, before shrugging and asking what she was talking about. She sighed, before telling me to never mind.

With that strange moment out of the way, we began to walk into Iki town, ready to go find Hala so we could battle.

Thankfully I didn't have to go far, but I didn't find him in the way I was planning.

"Watch out!" I heard Hala yell from behind me.

Turning around, my eyes opened wide as a Tauros charged straight towards me. I was going to jump out of the way, but I noticed that Drift was moving too slow on her feet to get out of the way in time.

I quickly bent down to pick her up, and prepared to jump away, but the Tauros was already upon us, and I was ready to brace myself for a whole lot of pain.

However, as the Tauros, with its eyes looking wild and angry was mere feet in front of us, Frost jumped in front of me and blew out a cloud of frost that covered the air and the Tauros in misty white.

I heard the Tauros cry out, and a moment later the mist separated, revealing the Tauros frozen solid, looking around in confusion from inside the ice that surrounded it.

"Wow, I was not expecting that!" Hala said, running up to us. "That's a powerful Vulpix you have right there, thanks for the help Jack!"

I smiled back at Hala. "Well, I actually didn't really do anything. It was all Frost. He just acted to save me from that rampaging Tauros."

"That's a loyal pokemon you have yourself then, though I don't know how you managed to get such a powerful Vulpix here on Melemele. But that doesn't really matter I suppose. What does matter is that you're all safe, and old Tauros here was was stopped before he hurt anyone."

"Yeah, though I am curious why Tauros was about to crush me. Was he charging because you were running after him or something?"

Hala laughed, shaking his head. "No, nothing like that. Tauros here was just going on one of his runs and tried to go off his designated path. Once I saw that, I gave chase, all the way up here to Iki town."

"Designated running paths? So Tauros runs often then?" I asked.

"Yep. Tauros used to carry trainers such as Moon and Hau, though lately there haven't been any trainers that have wanted to ride him through the Poke Ride system. Thus I created paths he could run along for the time being."

I nodded in understanding, looking at the frozen Tauros, who was currently wiggling a hoof around in the air as it slowly defrosted. I made sure to ask more about the Poke Ride system later.

"So Hala, I'm actually back here in Iki town for a reason." I said.

Hala looked at me, a bit of surprise on his face. "Are you already ready to challenge me in the Grand Trial?" He asked.

"...Yes?" I said, said, sounding a bit uncertain due to the confusion from Hala.

"Oh, it's perfectly alright if you are. In fact, I'd be happy to challenge and face you in battle. It's just that most trainers take a little over a week of training before facing me, meanwhile I saw you only about four days ago. The last time I was challenged this fast and the challenger was successful was seven years ago when Moon and Hau challenged me."

I blinked at this, wondering if I was actually ready to face Hala. After all, Moon and Hau seemed like confident trainers, and even though they both have seven years of experience, they probably were both still very good back then.

If it normally took trainers much longer to train, I began to wonder if I should wait longer to train my pokemon before I face Hala. However, with how strong my pokemon already were, it would take forever to level them up with the weaker wild pokemon in the area.

With my decision made up, I faced Hala, who was petting a _cooled down_ (ha, get it, cause he was frozen?...alright, I'll stop) Tauros, who was no longer frozen solid. "I've decided I'm ready though Hala, and so I challenge you to battle in the Grand Trial!"

Hala nodded, smiling. "Alright, I accept your challenge Jack. Meet me in the center of town in an hour, and then the Grand Trial will begin!"

I smiled and said goodbye to Hala as he walked off, with the Tauros following right behind him.

With that done, I turned to Frost, who was also watching them walk away. "Thanks Frost. If it hadn't been for you, I would have been surely crushed by that Tauros."

"It was no problem." Frost said, waving me off with a paw. "I saw how you went to protect Drift, and so I went to stop the Tauros from crushing both of you. Your my teammates now, so I couldn't allow you to get hurt."

"Speaking of which, how are you doing Drift?" I asked, but after a moment of silence, I turned to the small bat pokemon. "Drift?" I asked.

Drift was staring at the ground, looking saddened for some reason. "If I could move faster, you wouldn't have had to protect me. But since I can't fly, you had to come to my aid, and you could have been seriously hurt if it wasn't for Frost."

I knelt down, placing a hand on Drift to comfort her. "Hey, it's alright. There's no need to blame yourself for anything. Everyone is alright, nobody got hurt, so there's no need to feel bad, alright?"

Drift continued to stare at the ground, uncertain. "It's just that...I feel like I'm holding you back. I've only been with you for two days now, but I've seen all the extra effort you go through for me Jack. Whereas a battle for Ember only takes a few minutes, it takes me almost fifteen just to take down a Caterpie that's a third of my level."

"That doesn't matter to me Drift." I said, making her look up at me. "If anything, I appreciate the extra effort. It allows me to become a better trainer as I learn to adapt to your strengths. Also Drift, even if every battle took so long, did you ever lose?"

Drift thought for a moment, before shaking her head. "No, but-"

"No buts about it." I said. "You're still a strong pokemon, even if you're a bit slow. But even if you have weaknesses, I've been trying to turn them into strengths. With this in mind, I've even created a strategy just now that could help us beat Hala later today."

"Really?" Drift asked, looking hopeful.

I nodded, smiling. "Yes, really. But for it to work, I need you at your best. So cheer up for me, okay?"

Drift nodded, looking chipper once more. "Alright Jack!" And with that, she ran off and began thanking Frost for saving her, meanwhile Ember walked up beside me.

"So do you really have a plan for her?" She spoke quietly to me. "Because if she doesn't get airborne, she's going to be an open target for Hala's pokemon. Even if they are fighting type, they're still going to hurt her pretty badly if she can't avoid them."

"I have an idea for a plan." I said. "It's risky, but it's the only idea I have. Now that Drift is level fifteen, she knows gust now, though unless her opponent is right in front of her, she won't be able to hit them. With this in mind, I've made a strategy that could work, but if it doesn't, Drift could get hurt."

Ember nodded, before walking away to talk with the others about ideas of how they could prepare for the upcoming fight. If there was one thing I still appreciated about Ember, she definitely took our battles seriously.

While they talked, I decided to pull out my pokedex and call Kukui, as to tell him about my upcoming battle and to ask if he's found out anything from Rook.

Clicking on Kukui's number, I let the dex ring several times before it was finally answered by the professor himself.

"Alola Jack! Something come up, or did you just want to chat?" Kukui asked.

"Hey Kukui, just calling to say hi and tell you I'm about to take the Grand Trial against Hala. After that, I'll probably head down to the dock to get a ride over to Akala island."

I could hear Kukui chuckle over the phone. "Only four days and you're already facing Hala, huh? Well, good luck to you Jack. Hala's fighting pokemon are pretty tough, so be on guard, alright? You don't want your pokemon getting hurt out there after all."

"Yeah, I know. I already have a few ideas though, so don't worry about it. I'm sure I'll get out of it alright."

"With what I've seen of your battle capabilities, I have no doubt in my mind that you won't come out victorious. Now, was there anything else you wanted to talk about?"

"Yeah, there was actually." I said, though I began to speak more seriously. "Have you gotten anything out of Rook yet?"

Kukui was actually silent for a moment, which made me wonder if we had been disconnected. "Professor?" I asked.

"Unfortunately Jack, as today was supposed to be the day my team would be allowed to question him, it's also the day that Rook died."

"My eyes went wide, and my grip on the dex tightened. "...What?" I asked, feeling a mixture of confusion and anger.

"When the police went to retrieve him from his cell, they found him and his associate dead in their cells, with his assistant having hung himself and Rook having used his toothbrush to stab himself in the heart."

I stood there, silent, losing almost all strength in my legs to the point I almost fell down. _"Why would Rook and his partner kill themselves? Did they just not wanting their secrets to get out? No, Rook seemed like the kind of person who would have escaped just so he could keep his experiments going. So why did he kill himself?"_

"I'm sorry about this Jack." Kukui said, sighing. "This will definitely put finding a way to reverse what happened to you way back. But don't give up yet, alright?"

"Yeah….Thanks Professor." I said, the shock of Rook's death still getting to me. The man that had tortured me the moment I arrived in this world was dead. I would never get revenge, which would be for the best, but I also wouldn't be able to get any information from him. " _He did this to me...to_ us _, and then just thinks he can get away by killing himself?"_

"Goodbye Kukui. I'll be sure to call you later." I said, my voice sounding dark.

"Yeah, talk to you later Jack." I could hear the concern in Kukui's voice, but just in case he wanted to speak up again, I hung up before putting my dex in my pocket.

I began walking away from the entrance to Iki town, and began to walk down Route 1. My pokemon noticed, and began running after me (with Drift hopping on Frost's back since she couldn't run that fast).

"Jack, hey, wait up!" Ember said, before they caught up to me. Noticing my expression, Ember looked worried, as did Frost and Drift. "Jack, are you okay?" She asked, sounding concerned.

I stopped walking, before looking around me. There was a tree not too far to my left, and not a trainer in sight.

Pulling up my right fist, I yelled out and went to punch the tree, a veil of darkness surrounding my hand as I did so. My pokemon stepped back as my fist connected to the tree, before splitting it in half all the way from the base.

There was so much anger and hatred in that punch. The unfairness of everything that had not only happened to me, but those around me. My kidnapping, the experiment on me and Dusk, along with all those poor pokemon and trainers. Ember losing her trainer, then later raping me though not realizing it. Whatever traumatized Drift to the point she refuses to fly, and how she almost starved out of it. Frost's abandonment, and the pain created by staying at that center for so long.

I pulled back my fist, shaking the dirt and wood off of it as the darkness went away.

"...Jack?" Ember asked, taking a step towards me.

Turning around, I faced Ember with a smile. "Yeah Ember? What are standing around for? I figured we'd quickly go to Kukui's place to get some food before the trial. So let's get going, alright?"

All three of my pokemon blinked, though Drift's stomach did growl at the mere mention of food. "...Alright, but what was that just now with the tree? Are you okay?"

"What tree?" I asked her as we continued walking down the route. "I mean, there are plenty of trees around here, so you'll have to be more specific. As for me, couldn't be better, though I am still a bit worried about the upcoming battle."

"Yeah, but just now when you-" Ember stopped as Frost placed a paw on her, making her look down to Frost, who was just shaking his head. Ember continued to look worried, but nodded and proceeded to keep quiet as we slowly got closer to Kukui's lab.

" _You really needed that." Dusk said. "Though I'm not sure splitting a tree in half is the best way to deal with your anger. After all, how many innocent trees will be killed before your adventure is over?"_

" _Hopefully just the one. I agree that I need to think of other ways to deal with my stress, but hopefully I'll come up with something before that happens again. And hopefully I won't become this stressed anytime in the near future. After all, a lot has happened this week."_

A week. Or at least, it would be after today. It was a lot to take in though, that I had been here for a week. That a week ago, I had been killed in the middle of the Seattle streets by some unknown killer. That just a week ago, my focus wouldn't be being the best trainer in the Pokemon world, but rather focusing on passing my college classes.

Another thing to take into account with the time was that I was already a good step into my journey. It had only been a week, and I was already almost a quarter of the way done with the Alola region. At this rate, taking into account traveling and the other regions, it would only take me around a year to beat every region and become the global champion.

So...what would I do after that? Would it really only take a year? That seemed a bit outrageous, as some of the people I had met had been trainers their whole lives, and they weren't even close to what I was planning.

Then again, they usually had other things that occupied their lives. Studying for schools, growing up, living with their families, going about day to day with their jobs...even if they were trainers, most people had lives outside of battling still.

I sighed, placing my hands behind my head as I stared up at the sky. Maybe I could take breaks between regions? Find something more to do with my life and explore career paths for after grand plan? It would make the journey longer after all...

Looking up, I found myself in front of Kukui's lab, and proceeded to pull out my key. Well, I had plenty of time to worry about that later, and so I proceeded to push open the door and get some food ready before the upcoming battle.

 _ **~Line Break~**_

After making up some food, eating, cleaning up and making my way back to Iki town, I still had about ten minutes before the battle would begin. However, as I walked through the town gates, I could tell that Hala was already ready to battle.

The whole town was waiting in the center of town, with Hala standing on the large platform that we would battle upon.

As I approached, the people began cheering and crying out, all of them once more excited for another battle. " _Man, is there really not anything else that exciting that happens in this town? Then again, it is a small out of the way town, so…"_

I walked up the platform, and Hala stood opposite of me. "So Jack, are you prepared to face me, the Kahuna of Melemele Island, in the Grand Trial?" Hala asked.

Looking to Ember and Drift, who stood ready next to my side, I looked up and nodded to Hala as Frost watched next to the stage. "I am ready Hala. I'm only going to be using two pokemon, though I don't believe that changes anything?"

Hala shook his head. "It does not, as I will still be using my three pokemon. I am glad to see you are holding back on using your Vulpix, as I could tell just by looking at him that he is much more powerful than any pokemon I will be using in this trial today."

I nodded, before taking a step back to get where I would stand during the battle. However, Hala continued to stand in the center of the stage, and then began speaking about the trial to the crowd.

In short, he explained how I had demonstrated my strength as a trainer and had proven not only my strength, but the bond I had made with my pokemon, and that I was now ready to face him, the Kahuna, in the Grand trial of Melemele island. He then asked for the blessing of Tapu-koko, the island's guardian pokemon, and for us to have a safe battle.

Once his speech was over, the audience applauded as Hala turned and walked over to his side of the platform, before turning back to me. "I wish you luck in the coming battle Jack, though know now that I will not be going easy on you."

I grinned back at Hala. "I never thought you would. Let's make this a great battle, alright?"

Hala nodded, before tossing forward his first pokemon, and my first opponent. "Go, Mankey!" Hala cried out, and after the flash of light of the pokeball disappeared, I was left facing a small white furred monkey.

"Alright Ember, you're up." I said, and Ember nodded as she ran forward to face the Mankey. The two stared down each other, with the Mankey glaring at Ember while Ember grinned back with a cocky look.

"Mankey, rush forwards with a karate chop. If they try to dodge, hit them with a low kick." Hala told their pokemon, who nodded before rushing blindly forward towards Ember.

"Ember, use psybeam before he reaches you!" I said, making Hala raise an eyebrow and the Mankey widen their eyes in alarm.

Going through with their respective attacks, the Mankey tried to bring a raised hand down upon Ember. However, Ember had already brought forward the stick that sat in her tail, and a moment later the Mankey was blasted away with its hand having only been inches away from Ember's face.

Being a super effective move and how Ember was a few levels higher than her opponent, I was quite surprised to watch as the Mankey slowly got up, though its movements were shaky and it was probably a sliver away from fainting.

Before I could tell Ember to finish the Mankey quickly, Hala had already pulled a small red bottle from out of nowhere, and proceeded to spray the Mankey with its contents.

Instantly, the Mankey's injuries seemed to disappear, and the more that Hala sprayed, the stronger the Mankey seemed to get, until he was looking as healthy as he did when the battle had begun.

However, it took about thirty seconds to finish applying the potion, and I hadn't remained idly during that time, and neither had Ember. Having her rush forwards, I called out for Ember to close the distance with a flame charge, and then to finish the Mankey off with another psybeam.

Ember complied, and Hala could only watch as his Mankey once more was hit directly by Ember's attack, as she rammed into the small monkey pokemon while she was covered in flames.

The Mankey was knocked back, and Hala looked like he was going to tell it to dodge and use an attack of its own, but after ramming into the Mankey, Ember had already pulled her stick around and went to fire a beam of psychic energy.

Crying out, the Mankey fell over at Hala's feet, clearly knocked out. Hala looked down at his pokemon before recalling it, then looking up to me and my grinning face. "This battle may be more challenging then I thought." Hala said, before pulling out his next pokeball. "But my next pokemon will hopefully choose to be more of a challenge for you. Go, Crabrawler!"

I had anticipated this, and as his pokeball flew through the air, I called out. "Alright Ember, come back." Looking down, I smiled at the small bat at my feet. "Alright Drift, you're up. Remember our plan."

Drift looked up and nodded to me, looking determined as she slowly walked forwards, with Ember passing her on the way.

Meanwhile, Hala watched Drift's slow approach as his blue crab pokemon stood on the stage, clacking its large claws loudly. "I must say, I don't think I've ever seen a grounded Noibat before. Though you have the type advantage, you've given me quite the easy target here."

"Never judge a book by its cover Hala." I said, before calling out to Drift. "Drift, use gust!"

Drift complied, flapping her small wings quickly on the stage, creating a sharp wind that headed straight for the Crabrawler.

"Crabrawler, dodge away from it and use pursuit." Right before the wind reached the Crabrawler, it stepped away from it, and then quickly rushed forwards to Drift's stationary form with darkness surrounding its form.

"Drift, use gust again before he reaches you!" Drift went to comply, flapping her wings quickly, but unfortunately she didn't have enough time to generate a strong enough wind before the Crabrawler reached her.

There was still some wind made, so the Crabrawler winced as it rushed forwards, but it still managed to slam into Drift with pursuit, causing her to fly back with a cry of pain.

I winced as Drift landed, and quickly pulled out the dex. Looking at the battle, that attack alone had taken about a third of Drift's health, while the Crabrawler had only lost about a quarter by being hit by some of Drift's gust.

"Crabrawler, rush forwards with another pursuit, and then finish them off with a flurry of rock smashes!" Hala cried out, and the Crabrawler once more covered itself in a veil of darkness.

"Drift, get up and use supersonic, quickly!" Drift slowly brought herself up, using her wings to twist herself around push herself up.

Turning around, the Crabrawler was right in front of her as she opened her mouth and released a high pitched screech, right into the Crabrawler's face.

Suddenly, the Crabrawler stopped, looking around in confusion. Due to its current commands, the Crabrawler tried to use rock smash several times, but only ended up hitting the ground in front of it, causing mild damage to itself as wood splinter flew from the stage and hit the confused pokemon.

"Clever strategy, but there is an attack Crabrawler can use with my help that it won't matter if he's confused or not."

Taking a stance, Hala crouched down, and the Crabrawler seemed to regain focus as it turned to face directly towards Drift.

Moving carefully, Hala moved his arms around slowly, before stopping before he released a flurry of punches, with a final punch forwards, aimed directly towards Drift.

A deep energy filled the area, with the most emanating from the Crabrawler. Suddenly, the energy burst forth, and all the people in the surrounding area, myself included, could feel the presence of power, and how the next attack to come from Crabrawler would be powerful indeed.

However, I had planned for Hala to use his Z-move against Drift, as she would be super effective against his greatest advantage, so he would want to get rid of her now before she could do more harm.

Due to this, I hadn't remained idle while Hala went through the motions of his Z-move, and so, with the help of Drift, we began the plan I had come up with during lunch.

 _ **~Line Break~**_

 _Several hours earlier…_

"Drift, I have a single plan for if Hala uses his Z-move against you, and it is imperative that you be ready for it, alright?"

"Alright Jack! So what's you big plan?" Drift asked, looking excited to hear my plan while the others ate (even though Drift was always hungry, she was also the quickest eater, giving me plenty of time to talk to her as the others finished).

Holding up my Z-ring, I pointed to the grey crystal inside. "If Hala is to use his Z-move, all out pummeling, we will retaliate with a Z-move of our own."

Frost seemed to choke on his food at this, meanwhile Drift looked excited and a tad nervous. Ember, however, was shocked. "What? How come she gets to be the one to use your first Z-move!?"

Ember's reaction was to be expected, and this is why: For a z-move to be at its best and to be extremely powerful, both pokemon and trainer must trust in one another and use their strength together to perform the attack. It's a form of deeper bond between pokemon and trainer, and if done out of sync, could lead to backlash to both the trainer and pokemon.

"Because, if you face the Crabrawler that has the attack, you'll be wiped out with it's water attacks before we can even finish the attack. Drift will be a target though, as she is resistant to any attacks Hala might use. Thus, we'll try to wipe her out with his Z-move. The only way we can counter this is with a z-move of our own."

Frost finally cleared the pokemon food from his throat, and was looking at me as if I had gone insane. "Jack, do you even know what will happen if two z-moves collide together? These are some of the most powerful moves on the planet, and your plan is to collide them?"

"I've actually thought about this Frost, and yes, I do plan to." Frost once more gave me a "this guy is crazy" look. "If I'm right, then either the force of the two will cause the attacks to cancel out, and it will be like a tackle meeting a rock smash, or…" I said, trailing off.

"Or what?" Drift asked, looking concerned.

"Or create a shockwave that could potentially destroy some of the nearby buildings, as well as knock out both pokemon."

Ember looked concerned, Frost looked upset, but Drift was the worst, looking like she was about to faint. So, I knelt down to her and looked her in the eyes while gently petting her.

"Hey, we don't have to do this plan if you don't want to. But I'm convinced this is the way we can beat Hala, and know that I would never intentionally let you come to harm. If you get hurt too badly, I'll call off the fight and rush to be at your side with the best medicine I have, alright? But for this to work, not only do I need to trust you, but you need to trust me. So," I said, taking away my hand and looking straight at Drift. "Do you trust me?"

Drift looked up at me, before giving me a nod. However, it wasn't the nod that made me know that she was ready for this. It was her eyes. There was so much confidence and trust in them that I knew I could not break this promise. We would win, but no matter what, I had to keep Drift safe.

I couldn't afford to break her trust.

~ _ **Line Break~**_

The moment I had seen Hala get into position, I knew it was time. "Drift, are you sure you're ready for this?" I asked, knowing that as soon as I started, there would be no going back."

"I'm certain Jack. Let's do this. I'm sure we can win!" Drift said, and I smiled from her confidence.

"Alright, here we go!" I then spread my legs apart, and began waving my arms as Ilima had shown me. The entire time I focused on Drift, trusting that she could do this, and that the z-move would give her the power- no, it would give _us_ the power to win.

As I flowed through the movements, I could see out of the corner of my eye the normalium z beginning to glow. The light began to get stronger and stronger until I finally finished, in which as I stood in the final position of the dance, a flash of light shown out as the energy erupted from the Z-ring, before flowing towards Drift.

The energy surrounded her, and Drift almost seemed to glow after being bathed in the energy. A confident grin appeared on her face before she bent down, with her wings supporting her above the ground as she stood like a runner would before they would leap off and sprint.

Right as she did this, the energy finished surrounding Crabrawler as well, and he was also able to use his Z-move. Hala still hadn't seen what I had been doing, and instead called out to his pokemon. "Crabrawler, use All-Out Pummeling!"

"Drift, use Breakneck Blitz!" I said right as Crabrawler prepared his first punch. Hala's eyes widened, and I saw surprise from him for the first time since I had met him. Meanwhile, the crowd watched and murmured with a mixture of excitement and concern, as two of the most powerful attacks known were about to collide with one another.

"Jack, what have you done?! Nobody has ever collided two z-moves together before! Who knows what will happen!" Hala said. Meanwhile, Crabrawler released his attack consisting of several consecutive kicks and punches that manifested into energy that flew towards Drift.

"That's what I tried to tell him!" Frost yelled, though I was the only one aside from Ember that could currently hear and understand him. Meanwhile, as the crowd grew worried from Hala's mild panic, Drift ran forward, going much faster than she had been able to before.

She was going so fast, in fact, that not only was I having trouble following her with my eyes, but that when the Crabrawler's attacks reached her, she was able to dodge every single one of them by side-stepping, jumping over, or even sliding under them.

"Then let's just call off the attacks!" I said, though I wasn't about to stop mine first. As concerned as I was with Hala's reaction, I couldn't stop the attack until he stopped his, as it would lead to Drift's defeat for sure.

"That's impossible!" Hala said, meanwhile Drift began to get close to Crabrawler, who was pulling back his claw in preparation for his strongest punch. "Once a z-move has begun, there is no stopping it! Everybody, get down NOW!"

The crowd cried out, and my eyes opened wide at the sudden realization of what was about to occur. The attacks wouldn't just cancel each other out...hell, it was stupid of me to even _think_ that was an option.

As Hala jumped off the stage and the crowd fell to the ground, I quickly bent down and covered Ember, making sure she would be safe. However, I kept watching as Drift and the Crabrawler prepared to make contact, for I was worried about what would happen to Drift.

" _Please be fine….Please don't get too hurt….Just please, please don't die. I'd never forgive myself, and it was myself that did this. If anyone should be hurt, it should be me."_

Before I even knew what I was doing, I was running across the stage, with a sudden surge of energy pumping through my veins. My legs were covered in energy, and as I would later figure out, I had used agility to try to get to them in time.

However, as I was feet away from the two, the Crabrawler's fist flew forwards, and Drift prepared to make contact and run over Crabrawler. I was almost out of time, and so I leapt forwards, trying to shove Drift out of the way in time.

Everything seemed to slow down, and I'll try my best to go over everything that happened next. With another surge of power, I had managed to increase the power of my jump, and my hand connected with Drift just barely against her side.

It was enough however, as she would then run past the Crabrawler a moment later before colliding into a wooden post and destroying it. Drift would be fine, though I would later spend an hour pulling splinters out of her.

I did it though, and I apologized the whole time, but she was just happy that we had successfully used the z-move and that I had done so much to ensure her safety.

However, back to the previous moment, there was still one more issue with what I had done. Even though Drift was out of the way, I was still in the direct path of Crabrawler's attack.

I knew this would probably happen, and so I braced myself, ready for a lot of pain as the Crabrawler's claw came closer and closer to my face.

" _Well, this is it."_ I had thought. _"Even if I somehow don't manage to die, my secret will definitely be out. After all, how will I hold my illusion up after being hit directly in the face with a z-move? Answer: I won't."_

I then looked to the running form of Drift, who was about to collide with before mentioned wooden post, then at Ember, who was watching from the sidelines like she wanted to help, but knew there was no way that she couldn't, and then to Frost, who had his head to the ground and his paws on his head.

" _Sorry I couldn't be a better trainer as well. Hell, I only lasted a week. Wish I could have done more with my new life, but hey, at least they're all safe. And they also have each other now, so that's an improvement. Ember would have been experimented on, Drift would have starved to death, and Frost would have probably stayed at the center on Route 2 till he died. So I improved three lives at least with the cost of mine. Not bad Jack, not bad."_

" _Can you please stop thinking like you're about to die for_ one moment _and pay attention to what's happening. After all, you've been thinking for a while now. Haven't you noticed that_ we _aren't dead yet?" Dusk said._

I blinked, before looking around as I slammed into the wooden floorboards of the platform, as I had not been hit.

"What...but I was directly in the way of that attack...how am I not….?" It was then that I looked up, and my eyes widened at the sight in front of me.

Standing in front of me was a black, yellow and orange figure that was roughly dome shaped. Crabrawler's fist had hit them directly, though the figure stood there strongly, not having even moved an inch from the attack.

As the Crabrawler looked in surprise, the center of the dome split and separated, revealing the figure who stood inside the form of shield that was connected to their arms. I could only stare at the pokemon in front of me in wonder and surprise, as, after having done research, wasn't supposed to technically exist.

In front of my was the legendary pokemon Tapu Koko, guardian of Melemele island. I didn't know how to react to this, of course, for several reasons. One, I had just been saved by them. Secondly, the legendary pokemon weren't supposed to exist, at least not really, because, as I believe I had spoken about before, they were more of spirits and gods in this world, and were only supposed to exist in legend.

Tapu Koko then turned to me, and a voice seemed to fill my head a moment later, though I knew it was coming from the pokemon. " _ **Giratina sends his regards. Next time, try not to be so stupid. After all, we may not be able to reach you in time**_."

As soon as they had said that, they were gone, seemingly having disappeared without a trace. However, even though it seemed like he had teleported, the gust of air that flew past me and nearly knocked me over seemed to suggest otherwise.

"Dang he's fast." I said, before getting up. After brushing myself off, I then looked over at the Crabrawler, who had been knocked out. _"Probably Tapu Koko's work as well."_ I thought, before turning around and rushing off towards Drift.

Finding a pile of wooden ruble, I began to claw through it until I found a small bat laying there. "Drift, are you alright?" I asked, worried.

Drift lazily raised a wing, making a form of a thumbs up with the small fingers on her wing. "Yeah, I'll be alright. Everything hurts and I have _a lot_ of splinters, but I'll be fine. But did you see that attack Jack? It was amazing! I've never felt so powerful in my life."

I smiled at the small bat, before hearing a cough behind me. Turning around, I saw an upset looking Hala behind me. _"Oh...oh fuck."_ I thought.

"Jack." Hala said, his voice tense and emotionless. "What you just did was reckless, dangerous, and could have led to death." With every word Hala said, I winced, knowing I had majorly screwed up.

"However," Hala said, making me look up in mild confusion. "I watched as you went out of your way to save your pokemon. And even though I have no idea how you reached them in time, I was amazed as you prepared to take the hit from Crabrawler to ensure not only your pokemon's safety, but the safety of the people as well."

"And then Tapu Koko appeared." Hala said, sounding like he couldn't believe what he had just said. "I have never seen the guardian pokemon in person before, but seeing as it saved your life, I know that it approved of your actions as well as I did."

I couldn't believe what he was saying. I had majorly screwed up, and now I was being praised? And with the direction Hala was going…"So does this mean that?..."

"Yes Jack." Hala said, "You have completed the Grand Trial of Melemele island. Congratulations."


	9. Chapter 9

_Chapter 9 - Returning to Where it All Began, and Then Every Goes Wrong_

 _You know, sometimes I wonder why I have to be the main character. I mean, theoretically that is. It's not like my whole life is just some typed up adventure by some person behind a keyboard or something._

 _What I mean is, sometimes I wonder why all of this has to happen to me. All of these adventures, everything that's happened to me, and yet, in the end, I somehow, in a way, come out on top, just like main characters in most stories._

 _But I don't exactly like the fact that this is the case. Sometimes I wish that I could have a pokemon adventure like a normal trainer. I wouldn't want everything to be normal, of course, because then I wouldn't be in the pokemon world after all. But after what happened today, two days after I had finished my Grand Trial, I began to think about the large question that is only a single word: "Why?"._

 _Of course, questioning things won't exactly get me anywhere, and neither will complaining, so I guess I should go back a little bit and explain the events that led up to what was happening before going into what's made me begin questioning everything this time._

 _So, after it was announced that I had passed the Grand Trial, most of the crowd left, many murmuring unpleasant things about me because I had almost put them all in danger when they had just come for some basic entertainment._

 _While they dispersed, Hala proceeded to give me the Fightinium Z, the fighting z stone, though since I didn't have any pokemon that could currently use it, I just placed it into a special case I had bought beforehand and placed it in my bag._

 _After Hala taught me the dance for the z move, he then proceeded to give me a green device with a button on it. He informed me of how it was a riding pager, and I could use it to summon Tauros to ride on if I wanted to. I wouldn't have to use it if I didn't want to, but if I did, Tauros would be able to explore and run around more after being summoned from the pager as if it was a pokeball._

 _I made a note to myself to later try riding on Tauros._

 _With everything settled, Hala told me how I could get to Akala island via the ferry terminal in Hau'oli city. Even with my past experiences with boats, I decided to trust Hala on this, after all it is an official ferry, not some shady fisherman's boat._

 _Hala wished me luck on my journey, but reminded me to try to not be so reckless in the future. I agreed with him on this, and said my goodbyes as I left Iki town once more._

 _Deciding to try out the pager, I used it to call out Tauros, who was by my side a moment later with a large saddle on. Having put everyone back in their pokeballs for the time being, I decided I'd go to the pokemon center before going to ferry terminal._

 _Climbing onto the Tauros, I began to wonder how exactly I was supposed to ride the Tauros, before remembering I could just ask him about where I wanted to go._

 _I went through the procedure of explaining that I could talk to pokemon, so the Tauros didn't seem very surprised. He said he was getting old, and he had seen a lot. Sure, I was a first for him, but apparently compared to what he's seen before, a human that can understand pokemon isn't the shocking to him._

 _After telling him I wanted to go to Hau'oli city, he complied and began to charge forwards. I had to frantically grab for the handles to prevent myself from falling off, but soon we were on our way to the city._

 _The ride shortened what would have been around a forty minute walk to about fifteen, and I was quite surprised with how fast we got there. Having reached the outskirts of the city, I climbed off of Tauros and thanked him for the ride, before calling him away using the pager._

 _Making my way into the city, I went and did everything I wanted to get done before leaving the city. I got my pokemon healed (and then spent a good hour removing splinters from Drift), restocked on supplies, and then made my way to the ferry terminal._

 _Upon arriving, I found out I had managed to get there in time to buy a ticket for the last ferry of the day. The ride wouldn't be that long, and I would find myself on Akala island in Heahea city around seven._

 _All of my problems would begin when I stepped out of the ferry terminal there after arriving…_

"Man, that boat ride felt like it would take forever." I said to no one in particular, as my pokemon were still in their pokeballs. I was thinking of letting them out soon, but decided I'd go find dinner for all of us before I did so.

As I walked out of the ferry terminal, I looked around before having my eyes stop at the docks. I stared at them, imagining the large boat that had once been there with two men who had claimed to be fishermen.

" _This is where it all started."_ I thought to Dusk. _"I had just arrived here in the pokemon world, and I needed to find a way to Melemele. However, having no money, I decided to ride with two strangers who were offering a free ride. And that's how I was so foolishly captured and met you Dusk."_

" _Well, at least they're dead, and can't do that to anyone else."_ Dusk thought bitterly, before sighing. _"There was one good thing about them capturing you, I suppose."_

" _And what could that be?"_ I asked, wondering how there could have been a bright side to what they did to me.

" _In a way, by capturing you, my life was saved in a way. They would have tried fusing me with someone else eventually Jack. So if you hadn't been there, I would be dead, or worse. You saw what happened to some of those poor people and pokemon after all."_

My gaze lightened a bit, before I turned around and began walking away from the docks. " _Yeah, I guess you're right. But we still have to find a way to undo all of this. I don't want you to be stuck in my head forever, 'cause after all, you deserve to live a life of your own as well."_

Dusk was quiet after that, and so, with our conversation over, I began looking for a place where I could get some food, as well as a place to stay for the night.

Thankfully for me, the second problem was easier to solve, as, after looking at the map, the Tide Song hotel was right around the corner. I was afraid it would be expensive, but after doing some research, I found that their prices were quite acceptable. The real problem would have occurred if I had tried to stay at the resort past the town, the Hano Grand resort, as it would have cost me half of my current savings just to stay in their least expensive room for one night.

After walking around for a bit and studying the map, I finally found a local restaurant that would allow me to just buy the food and take it with me. After getting a simple pasta dish for myself and some different pokemon foods for my party, I made my way out of the restaurant and towards the hotel.

Upon arrival, I was surprised that the rooms would be so cheap, as upon inspection, it appeared as if it would be a high end hotel. The entrance was quite lavish, and everything was a sparkling white and light blue color, reminding me of ocean tides, which is where they get their name from.

Going up to the counter and talking to the person behind the desk, I was soon able to get a small one person room with no issues.

Once arriving to the room, I was once again surprised with how nice it was. The room was simple, yet looked quite fancy, and there was a balcony that gave me a beautiful view of the ocean.

Releasing my team, we ate our dinners before heading to bed. As I prepared to go to sleep, I figured I would explore a bit of route 4 with my team tomorrow, though we would probably stay in the local area for a bit.

I figured due to how we got lucky last time, I wanted to train everyone a bit more before our next trial, which would be the most difficult one at the moment, as it was the water trial. Ember would be at a severe disadvantage, and Drift wouldn't even be able to fight unless I found something for her to stand on, because after asking, I learned that Drift cannot swim.

Frost was a solid backup plan, but once again it didn't feel right to let him battle just yet. He would still be twice as powerful as the pokemon we would face in the trial, and it would be a cakewalk to battle with him.

But the trial was still a good few days walk away, so I had plenty of time to prepare until then. With that in mind, I fell asleep, not knowing of the problems I would face the next day.

 _ **~Line Break~**_

"Well, here we are everyone, Route 4." I said with Ember, Drift and Frost at my side as we stood at the entrance to the route.

"Anything specific you want to get done today Jack?" Ember asked. "I wouldn't mind getting some more training done personally."

"That's part of the plan," I said, before pulling out my pokedex, "But according to the pokedex, this route can occasionally have Eevee roaming around. If we can manage to run into one, I'd like to see if we can get one to join our party."

"I wouldn't mind having another companion with us, but why an Eevee Jack? Shouldn't we try to get a grass type pokemon instead?" Frost asked. "After all, I heard you mumbling to yourself yesterday about how your next challenge will be water types."

"And I won't be of any use to you there." Ember said, sighing. "One hit from a water gun and I'll be down for the count. So why do you want to get an Eevee Jack?"

"Because if we go further into the island, we can find the moss rock that will allow them to evolve into a Leafeon. Not only will that give us a strong advantage against the next trial, but will also give us a strong grass type pokemon in the long run."

Frost seemed to agree with this logic as he nodded. "Yes, a good grass type like Leafeon would be good, as it would also be powerful against any rock or ground types as well. But personally speaking, we might want to find an Eevee that wants to become a Leafeon. It wouldn't be right to catch someone if they've always dreamt of being a Flareon or Vaporeon."

"That's actually not a bad idea, but it might be a little difficult. Even if I can speak to pokemon, none of the wild pokemon we've run into before have been all that talkative. It might prove problematic to figure out if they want to evolve into a Leafeon or not, but we'll have to try our best either way."

"So what are we waiting for? Let's go meet a new friend!" Drift shouted out, eager to get going.

I smiled at her excitement and nodded, also eager to get going as well. With everyone knowing the plan, we decided to head out onto the route.

We explored for a bit, searching along the trees and the grass for any signs of wilf Eevee. However, even after several hours, along with a few battles with wild pokemon and trainers with weak pokemon such as Rattata and Cutiefly, we finally decided to break for lunch before continuing our search.

After walking around a bit longer, we managed to come across a small meadow that was only a short distance away from the main path of the route.

Sitting down, I decided to pull out everyone's food, making sure to feed the others first before I got my own food. However, as I had set down my bag on the ground and began to fish around for the bags of food, I became distracted by a rustling in the bushes.

I looked up from my bag with two bags of food in each hand to set aside, meanwhile as I watched the bushes Ember Drift and Frost jumped in front of me, ready to fight any wild pokemon that would come forward.

For a moment, the bush stopped rustling, before a small brown head popped out from the foliage. Two perky ears stood up from their head as they cocked it two the side and smiled towards us, raising a paw and waving.

"Hi there!" The Eevee called out in a high pitched voice that could be considered by many as adorable. "You wouldn't happen to have any food by chance, would you?"

I blinked, before shrugging. Meanwhile, Frost seemed to calm down, Ember still seemed a little on edge, and Drift was shaking her head madly. "Nope, no food hear, definitely not. You can just keep moving along, as we definitely have no food here."

"Drift, you're not trying to hog the food to yourself, are you?" I asked with a grin, in which Drift looked away looking embarrassed. I chuckled a bit, before looking up at the Eevee. "Yeah, I have some food I could spare for you. We were about to have lunch anyway. Come on over."

The Eevee looked a bit surprised, but proceeded to walk towards us anyway. "A human that can understand me? That's not something you see every day. But I'm not going to say no to free food."

I smiled at this, glad that I wouldn't have to explain how I can talk to pokemon again, at least not for the time being. As I pulled at bowls and began to serve food, I continued to talk to the Eevee. "So, do you have a name? Mine's Jack, and that's Drift, Ember and Frost." I said, pointing to each pokemon as I named them.

"Just call me Eve for now." The Eevee said as I handed her a bowl. "I'd rather not hand out my name to those I just met, but Eve is what my friends call me."

"That's fine with me." I said, sitting down with a plate of food of my own. Looking around, I saw that Frost was eating his food as normal, Drift was digging in like it was her last meal (also normal), and Ember was eating slowly, keeping an eye on Eve, who was happily chewing away at her food.

While I began to eat as well (with my food tasting a bit off for some reason), Eve looked up at me and smiled. "Wow, this is really good. Thank you for this food Mr. Jack!"

I smiled (though I was beginning to feel a bit off), and went to take Drift's bowl which was already empty. "It's no problem to me Eve. I'm happy to help. But I was wondering if you could answer a question of mine."

"Sure, that's no problem. You did give me some free food after all. So, what do you want to know?"

My gut was beginning to hurt, but I ignored it for the time being. "I was wondering if you knew of any other Eevee nearby, especially any that might want to travel or be a Leafeon. We're traveling around and doing these trials, and we could really use a Leafeon on our team for the upcoming challenges."

Eve seemed to look nervous when I asked about other Eevees, but before she could answer my question, Frost spoke up about something I had failed to notice. "Jack, are you eating pokemon food?"

I blinked, before looking down at my plate. Sure enough, the pokemon food I had been serving the others was on my plate, as I hadn't been paying attention while I had been serving food.

Whereas this did explain how I was currently feeling, it still wasn't a good thing. "Don't worry, as long as I get to my bag, I'll be fine." After having found out the cure, I made sure to get a couple old gateau at the last few cafes we were in. Sadly, they could only sell me one at a time, so I only had two in my bag at the moment.

As black fur began to spread across my arms, I turned around ready to grab my bag. However, upon turning around I found four Eevees with my bag on top of them, meanwhile they were trying to stealthily sneak it away.

"Wha-hey, give that back!" I said, jumping forward to try and grab my bag, but the Eevee were already running off with it. Before I could give chase, Eve jumped up and onto my head, before jumping away by using my head as a launchpad.

"Thanks for the meal and all your stuff!" Eve called out, before running into the bushes after her friends.

"I knew she was up to something! Get back here you bunch of thieves!" Ember said before jumping into the bushes after them.

"Ember, don't run off by yourself, wait up!" Frost said, beginning to run after her. As he passed, Drift hooked onto him and crawled onto his back, and soon enough they had all gone after the Eevees, leaving me alone in the clearing.

Just like I had experienced back in the malasada shop, I felt my whole body shift and morph into the shape of a Zorua. Strangely enough, it wasn't as painful enough, but it still brought pain to my eyes and left me panting on the ground for several minutes as I tried to recover.

Finally, after I deemed the pain had finally fully gone away, I stood up, sadly on all fours once more. Not only that, but also upon looking around, I found that I was all alone, with none of my pokemon in sight.

I sighed, before sitting down on the grass. "Guess I'll just have to wait here for them." I said to no one in particular. "Not exactly sure what I'm going to do while I wait for them though."

" _You could always try to go after them. Or you could just lay here and take a nap while you wait for them to get back. Either way, it might be a bit. Your pokemon are very determined and skillful, but Eevee are quite cunning, so even if your pokemon do get your bag back, it won't be for a while yet."_

" _Nap it is then. I have no idea which way they went, and I'd rather not get lost in the woods today."_

With my decision settled, I coiled up on top of my discarded clothes, using them as a form of blanket, before closing my eyes and taking a small nap in the clearing.

 _ **~Line Break +Lewdness Warning~**_

At first, my sleep seemed to go as normal, with no dreams present and my mind an empty expanse that allowed me to rest easily, even if I had gotten to sleep in a body not of my own.

However, after some time passed, I blinked my eyes open, finding myself in an odd situation. There seemed to be something on top of me, something covered in brown fur, and my first thoughts were that it was a dog.

A moment later though, the dog spoke, making me realize it was probably a pokemon. "Yeah...this feels so nice. Wish I could do this for a while longer, but my master will probably be here soon."

Realizing it was a pokemon, and how I didn't seem to recognize it, I began to believe I was experiencing another one of Dusk's memories.

As I thought this, I realized that the pokemon was moving back and forth onto top of me, and that there was a strange sensation in my mouth as if it was...filled?

I blinked my weary eyes, before realizing that I was sucking a pokemon's dick.

Upon thinking this, I began to breathe heavier, starting to panic, but as I did so, a similar scent to the one I had smelt with Ember filled my nose. This smell wasn't as heavy though, but seemed to smell...dirtier, in a way.

Along with the smell came the taste, and a fleshy, salty flavor filled my mouth. It was an odd flavor, but not entirely bad to my Zorua body's taste buds.

" _This...this isn't so bad~"_ My clouded mind thought. " _Maybe I'll enjoy this memory for just a bit longer…"_

As I relaxed into the memory, my mind clouding more and more with every thrust the pokemon made as he shoved his dick into my mouth, Dusk decided to speak up.

" _Um, Jack, I don't know how to say this, but this isn't a memory. I think you just woke up to a pokemon using your mouth to get his dick sucked."_

My eyes shot open at the realization, and right as I did so, the pokemon made one final thrust into my mouth, shoving so much of his prick into my mouth that the it touched the back of my throat and a larger portion of it filled the front of my mouth, locking his dick in my mouth as it swelled larger.

A moment later, I could feel a warm fluid shoot down my throat and into my stomach, and I wanted to throw up upon realizing that he had just cum down my throat. Trying to pull away, I realized that his dick was stuck in my mouth, as it hurt every time I tried to open my jaw wider.

"Ah, you're finally awake. Hope you like the taste of my dick in your mouth. If I have my way, you'll be a member of my master's party in no time, and you'll be doing this quite often."

" _Oh HELL no!"_ I thought angrily. " _I REFUSE to be some pokemon's cum sleeve!" With this in mind, I thought of a way to get his dick out of my mouth, and hopefully get away before his "master" showed up._

Glaring at the pokemon who had used me (even if I was under him at the moment so it didn't have quite the same effect), I proceeded to bite down hard onto the poke-dick.

"YE-OW! What the FUCK are you doing!" The pokemon screamed out, jumping back and away from me.

Thankfully, the moment he jumped away, I opened my jaw as wide as I could, so that with him jumping back, along with how his penis tensed up when I bit down, all added up to me being able to get his dick out of my mouth.

As his dick left my mouth, a small amount of his cum ended up in my mouth, and I was greeted with a salty bitter taste. I immediately began spitting, trying my best to get the taste out of my mouth.

 _ **End of Lewdness**_

I rubbed my aching jaw as I looked up at the second pokemon to rape me by this point, though this time I would be able to take my anger out on them since I didn't know them.

Looking up ahead of me revealed a small brown dog with a white fluffy tail and seemed to have several stones around his neck. He glared at me with bright blue eyes as he rubbed his aching lower parts.

"Alright bitch, you're going to pay for tha-" I didn't give him a chance to speak, my body surrounded with a dark energy as I slammed into him quickly with pursuit.

The Rockruff cried out in pain as he was slammed backwards, but he quickly recovered as he stood back up and looked ready for a fight.

"Listen here _fucker_ ," I growled at the Rockruff. "I am one hundred percent ready to _kill you_ for what you just did. I'd rather not though, because I'd regret it for a while. So you better leave, _now_."

For a moment, the Rockruff actually seemed to question whether or not this was a good idea. However, as we stood at an impasse, with him on edge and me ready to attack at his slightest movement, we both froze as we heard someone call out from the bushes.

"Cliff, where are you boy?" A feminine voice called out from the bushes. Suddenly a positive grin crossed the Rockruff's face, and my eyes widened in realization as to what this meant.

The Rockruff (apparently named Cliff), raised his head up to the sky and let out a long howl. I stood there foolishly for a moment, unsure of what to do.

A moment after he howled, there was rustling in the nearby bushes of the clearing, and a teenage girl emerged from the bushes, looking around in mild confusion.

Looking at her closely, I would have to guess she was probably a bit younger than me. She had long light blue hair that ended in red ends (obviously dyed) that reached all the way down her back.

She stood a bit shorter than I would normally, and I guessed she was a little over five foot. However, the thing that stood out the most about her were her eyes. Whereas one was a bright blue, the other was a deep red, and had a scar running over it.

Being clad in cargo shorts, a simple traveling shirt, and a large backpack on her back, it was obvious that she was a trainer. However, upon first seeing her I couldn't help but wonder if she had stepped straight out of an anime or something. Aside from that though, she looked pretty cute in a way.

However, as soon as she spotted me and Cliff, how she looked was the last thing on my mind. "Cliff, there you are! And is that a Zorua!? Quickly Cliff, sand attack!"

With my fight or flight instincts kicking in, I knew right away that facing Cliff would leave me blinded, leaving me to the mercy of him and his trainer. So instead I decided that flight would be the better option today, and immediately turned around and ran for the bushes.

While I heard what sounded like a bunch of sand land on the ground behind me and the trainer groan in frustration, I poured the energy from before into my legs to use agility to get away.

"No, we can't let it get away! Cliff, quickly, use rock throw!" The trainer shouted out.

I began to panic, wondering if this would be it. If he managed to hit me, they'd be able to catch up to me easily as I try to limp away. I'd be caught, be used as a trainer's pokemon, and forced to be a Rockruff's toy for the rest of my life.

Thankfully, Dusk had other ideas. " _Jack, dodge to the right, and then the left, and then the right twice after that. They'll miss you if you're quick enough, but you have to move_ now."

Nodding, I listened to Dusk's orders, and quickly hopped to the right. The moment I did, a rock rushed past my head fast enough that I could feel the wind next to my face.

Hoping that I wasn't just lucky, I dodged to the left and then the right twice, each time moving with a quick hop that brought me closer and closer to the bushes surrounding the clearing.

Each time I moved, another rock would rush past my head, but none of them managed to hit thankfully. With the last hop, I was close enough to the bushes that I was able to jump forwards and into the safety of the forestry.

"Aw, it's in the bushes now!" I heard the girl cry out, causing me to sigh in relief. "But I refuse to give up that easily." She said, making me sigh in mild frustration.

I began to run again, going further into the forest, though I could hear the sound of a pokeball releasing another pokemon from behind me. Knowing that I now had two pokemon and a trainer after me, I knew I had to get as far away as quick as possible, or better yet, find my pokemon.

However, as I crashed through one bush after another, with the sounds of twigs snapping behind me and an ominous shadow occasionally casting down through the trees above, I was beginning to think that my only option would be to fight. If I couldn't find help soon, it would unfortunately come down to that.

Thankfully, luck was on my side at that moment, as I ran straight into the surprised face of Frost. He was surprised mainly due to how I then proceeded to crash into him, knocking us both over and onto the ground.

When we finished rolling, Frost had somehow managed to recover and had me pinned down underneath him. "Hey, I'm warning you, attacking me is _not_ a good idea. So you better watch it or else I'll-"

"Stop it!" Ember called out, running over to us. "That's Jack! This is what I was telling you about, remember?"

Frost stopped his threats towards me, in which he thought I was a wild pokemon attacking him before. Now though, after Ember's explanation, he looked back down at me, before blinking and asking, "Jack?"

I nodded. "In the flesh, or should I say fur at the moment. Sorry you had to find out about the rest of my condition this way."

Frost quickly got off of me, looking away from me with his ears hanging low. "No, it's my fault. I should have known it was you since you're probably the only Zorua for miles around here, and Ember told us how you transform when you eat pokemon food, and I can't believe I just threatened you, and I'm really sorry and-"

"Frost, look, it's okay." I interrupted him, making him look up at me, though his ears were still back. "We all make mistakes sometimes. But now is _not_ the time. There will be two pokemon here soon followed by their trainer. _Please_ tell me you managed to find my bag….also, where's Drift?" I asked, looking around.

"Right here Jack!" Drift said, coming out from a few bushes beside an Eevee, and together the two were carrying my backpack. "Destiny and I managed to sneak your bag away from the Eevees, though they might realize that we tricked them soon. We should get out of here quickly."

I looked towards the Eevee apparently named Destiny, who gave a small smile and wave to me. "It's nice to meet you Destiny, and thanks a lot for helping. Somehow I know there's a bigger story here I just missed, but I'll ask about that later. Quickly, open the front pocket of the bag and give me what's inside."

Drift nodded, before turning to the bag and using her small fingers to get my bag of old gateau. Quickly tossing it over to me, I frantically pawed at the bag, already beginning to hear the crashes in the bushes as Cliff was beginning to catch up to me.

I managed to get to the gateau, but before I took a bite, I look up to the others. "Ember, could you get out some clothes for me from my bag please. As for the rest of you, you might want to look away for this. Drift and Frost, keep an eye out for some kind of bird pokemon and a Rockruff, alright?"

My pokemon nodded, and went to do their individual tasks, with Destiny following Ember over to the bag and talking to her about how I seemed pretty nice.

With that taken care of, I proceeded to eat the old gateau, the weird flavor and texture filling my mouth once more. However, I forced myself to force it down, making sure to eat the old gateau.

A moment later, the gateau's effect took place, and pain racked my body once more. As my bones shifted and my fur pulled back into my skin, I gasped out in pain, though once more it was lessened compared to before.

Several minutes later, I had managed to turn fully back into a human, and Ember was looking away from me with a blush while holding out my clothes as I recovered on the ground.

"Th...thanks Ember." I gasped out, taking the clothes, making sure to put them on as quickly as possible. However, as I was struggling to put my pants on, Drift ran up to me as Frost suddenly jumped into the bushes.

"Jack, you might want to hurry up! Someone's on their way, and Frost went to try to lead them away or distract them, though I'm not sure how long he'll be able to keep them away."

Thankfully, my pants were fully on by now, so I began to tug my shirt on. "Don't worry, I'm almost decent. Frost, get back here!" I called out, straightening my shirt out against myself.

Bending over, I began to put on my socks and shoes when Frost jumped back through the bushes. "There's a Rockruff just a few bushes away, though I distracted him by shooting an ice shard against a nearby tree. His trainer isn't too far behind him I don't think."

Nodding, I finished getting dressed, and quickly packed up my bag. "Alright, that's everything I think. Let's get out of here, and quickly. I'd rather not run into any angry Eevees or upset trainers at the moment."

" _You're forgetting your disguise."_ Dusk said inside my head, in which I nodded and focused on creating my illusion as my team and I ran through the bushes.

As my ears faded away in the illusion, as well as my tail, I could hear crashing through the branches to my right. Suddenly, I was slammed in my right by a brown blur, with a familiar dog pokemon's voice screaming out "Got you bitch!"

Thankfully, I had braced myself, so my illusion wasn't broken as I was slammed into the ground. Glaring down at the Rockruff who had tackled against my chest, he had time to look confused before he was pushed off of me by a gust of wind, with Drift flapping her wings atop Frost, meanwhile Ember had her wand/stick out and Frost had ice crystals exiting his mouth. Oh, and Destiny was standing behind me looking nervous.

"Hey, don't hurt my Rockruff!" I heard a familiar female voice shout out from the bushes. Looking over, I saw the trainer from before come crashing through the bushes, though as she did, her foot caught on a root before tripping and landing on her face.

As we all watched her with a mixture of confusion and concern, the Rockruff got up and ran over to her. However, she instantly recovered and pulled her face out of the dirt and raised an arm up to point at me. "I'll have you know that I'm a strong trainer, and I will mess you up if you think you can hurt my pokemon outside an official battle!"

I began to get up, and as I brushed dirt off myself, I began talking to the strange girl. "I wasn't attacking you're pokemon, my pokemon were defending me. Your Rockruff suddenly rushed out of the bushes and tackled me, so my team went to defend me is all. Sorry if it seemed like I was purposely trying to hurt him." As I said this, I walked over and held out my hand to help her up.

The girl ignored my hand, getting up herself before looking at the Rockruff. "Is this true Cliff?" She asked.

Looking down, Cliff nodded with his ears lowered to his head. "Yes," He said, though only my pokemon and I could understand him. "I thought he was that Zorua, based on his scent. Even now, he still smells a lot like her."

The girl nodded, before looking up at me. "Sorry about that. We were chasing a Zorua through the woods, and he probably just got too excited and tackled the first sign of movement."

I shrugged. "It's no problem. I didn't really get hurt, and Cliff seems fine, so everything turned out fine. Now, if you excuse me, my team and I were headed back to town."

"Hey, wait a minute!" The girl said, making me stop midstep. "While you're here, I challenge you to a battle!"

I stopped for a moment, thinking. I didn't know how long I had till a group of upset Eevee would be here, but it would be rude to deny her a battle. "Sure," I said, "But let's find a larger area to have our battle. This forest is too crowded for any free movement for our pokemon."

The girl smiled at this, before nodding in excitement. "Alright, then let's go to the main route road then! It shouldn't be too far from here."

And so we began heading back to the main route, away from the forest with the Eevee and my second traumatic sexual experience in this world. I would soon be battling the strange girl who looked like (and acted like) an anime character, and then would be continuing my journey, now with an Eevee by my side.

But first will be the tale of my pokemon, and how they met Destiny.

 _ **Line End**_

 _ **Author Note: If you have any ideas, suggestions, or anything in general you want to see in this story, be sure to comment. I'd like to expand the story, so any possible small additions or scenes to the story would be appreciated to extend this story's length. I will give credit to any and all ideas that I choose to use, and thank you for reading this story so far.**_


	10. Chapter 10

_Chapter 10 - Eevee Story, Battle Against a True Trainer and Alternate End 1_

 _*Warning, all alternate ends will have lewd material. Don't read unless you want to._

 _Hours ago, from Ember's perspective…_

"I knew she was up to something! Get back here you bunch of thieves!" I yelled out, running towards the bushes where the Eevees had gone. I wasn't about to let a bunch of thieves get away with Jack's only belongings, especially now that he needed what was in it now more than ever.

"Ember, don't run off by yourself, wait up!" I heard Frost call out from behind me. However, I knew that if I stopped even for a moment, those Eevee would escape, so I kept going, to the point where I jumped through the branches of the bush.

Pushing branches away and running forward, I knew that they couldn't have gotten too far ahead. After all, they had to drag the bag through branches as well as themselves.

However, as I got through to the other side and looked around panting, I saw no traces of the Eevee, not even any tracks. "What…?" I said as I looked around. This didn't make sense. They couldn't have just disappeared.

Suddenly, I heard the crashing of branches behind me. Turning around and getting into a battle stance, I prepared to fight, wondering if maybe I had just gotten ahead of them.

However, instead of the Eevee that I had been chasing, Frost and Drift poked their heads out from the brush. "There you are Ember! We were worried that something bad would happen if you faced all those Eevee by yourself." Drift said as she hopped off of Frost's back.

My eyes widened as I looked at them. "What are you both doing here? You should have stayed back with Jack!"

"And let you either wander lost in the woods or face a pack of Eevee by yourself? That isn't going to happen Ember. Be sensible." Frost said.

"I am being sensible! Jack needs what's in that bag now, and he can't be left alone especially after eating pokemon food!"

Drift cocked her head, looking concerned. "Why? Is he allergic? Does he have medicine in his bag or something?"

I stomped the ground, beginning to grow frustrated. "Something like that, but I'll explain later. Every second we stand here, the Eevee get farther away!" I turned to Frost. "Do you have any ideas as to how we can find them?"

Frost nodded. "It will be quite easy. I can sniff them out no matter how far they go." He scrunched his nose. "Especially since it smelled like they hadn't had a bath in a while."

"Alright, then lead the way. I would send you back, but you're right. I can't face them all by myself."

"But what about Jack?" Drift asked as we began to walk, with Frost occasionally taking a sniff of the air.

"He…should be fine." I said, though I couldn't help but feel worried. "This has happened before, and he was alright. I'm just a bit worried because no one is with him while we're out in the wild."

"So what exactly occurs when Jack consumes pokemon food?" Frost asked as he made a swift turn to the left.

"It's complicated." I said, rubbing the back of my head. I wasn't certain if I should inform them of Jack's condition, even though they already knew he was half Zorua. After all, it's one thing to say someone is half pokemon, it's another to say they become a female Zorua after consuming pokemon food.

"It has something to do with his condition, doesn't it?" Frost asked, making me look at him in surprise. Sometimes it seems like he can read minds or something with how smart he seems to be.

"...Yes, it does, though you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Drift scoffed at this. "Our trainer is a half Zorua hybrid that can speak to pokemon. I'm pretty sure whatever you say won't surprise us."

I was silent for a moment, before deciding it would be better if they knew. "Jack turns into a full Zorua after consuming pokemon food. Oh, and since the Zorua that he was fused with was female, he turns into a girl as well."

Frost and Drift both froze in their tracks, before turning to me and giving me looks of confusion and mild disbelief, as if I had said that just to mess with them.

I shrugged. "It's the truth. The only way for him to turn back that we know of is the old gateau that he bought last time we were in town, which is why we need to get that bag back. Now could we please get back to moving so we can catch those Eevee?"

Frost just shook his head lightly before walking again, with Drift following behind while trying to process the new information.

"So if Jack is currently a female Zorua in the wild, which is still hard to believe, he could become a target to trainers and wild pokemon defending their territory. Are you certain he'll be alright Ember?" Drift asked while looking back at me.

"He should be." I said, though I wasn't too certain myself. "He seems to be able to use basic attacks, and he's wise enough to run from any trainers, so hopefully he'll be fine until we can get his bag back."

"Speaker of which, I believe we're getting close, so stay quiet you two." Frost said before crouching down and sneaking towards a large dead looking bush. Drift and I nodded and slowly approached from behind him as he slowly pulled back some of the branches of the bush.

Peering through, we saw a small meadow aside a cliff. Alongside the cliff was a small clear pond, and dug into the cliff were several holes that had beds made of grass inside them.

Standing around the meadow had to be at least twenty Eevee, which made me glad I wasn't going to have to face them by myself, but even then I doubted the three of us could handle twenty Eevee at once, even with Frost's level advantage.

Standing in the center of the crowd atop of Jack's bag was Eve, the Eevee that had tricked us. "We made a good haul today everyone! That stupid trainer didn't even see it coming. With all of this stuff, we shouldn't have to worry about food for a while, and the medicine should last us months!"

The Eevees cheered, and I growled under my breath. They had tricked us just for our supplies. If they had just asked, Jack would have surely spared them some, being as kind hearted as he was.

Frost smacked me lightly, making me stop growling as he put a paw to his mouth, signaling to me to stay quiet. I nodded, in which we continued to watch the Eevees.

"Alright, get this back over in the storage cave, then send someone out to find Destiny and get her scouting report to see if that trainer's pokemon tried to follow us or not."

The Eevees nodded, with four of them dragging a bag over to a cave that looked to go deeper into the cliff then the others, meanwhile two Eevees ran off in opposite directions into the woods.

Frost, Drift and I backed away and looked at each other. "Alright, so we have to somehow sneak past about twenty Eevee into a cave, grab Jack's bag, then run off. Any suggestions as to how we should do that?"

"But what if they really need the supplies that are in the bag? Shouldn't we just take what we need and leave instead?" Drift asked.

I scowled. "They had the chance to politely ask for supplies and they ruined it. You know Jack would have given them something if they had asked. In my opinion we should just take the bag and run."

Frost looked concerned at the ground, looking like something was bothering him. "I'm more worried about their scout. Either they never found us in the first place or-"

"Or I followed you to see what you would do." A soft voice said from behind us.

We quickly turned around with my stick being pulled out as I stood in a combat stance. Sitting behind us was a small female Eevee who quickly held out her paws. "Wait, I'm not here to report you to the others or fight!"

"Then why did you follow us?" Frost asked, cocking his head.

The Eevee looked away, a small look of shame on her face. "I want to leave the others, and explore more of the world. Things have changed over the years. The stealing, the lying, the rules... I just can't take it anymore!"

Drift took a step forward, but before I could stop her, Frost placed a paw aside my leg and shook his head. I bit the bottom of my lip but complied, watching as Drift placed a wing on the Eevee in a comforting manner.

The Eevee looked at Drift in confusion, who looked back at her with a small smile. "Maybe it would be better if you started from the beginning."

Nodding, the Eevee began to speak. "My name is Destiny, and I'm one of the scout for my pack. We used to live peacefully, taking berries from bushes, avoiding trainers, and just enjoying life together as a large family."

"However, three years ago, our former leader and my mother, Eveline, befriended a Growlithe who had suddenly appeared. The two became close friends, maybe even something more as my father...well, I never knew who he was."

"But it turned out that the Growlithe was a trainer's pokemon who was only visiting for the summer. One day, on the last day before he was to leave, he came to my mother with two items: a pokeball and a fire stone that his trainer had saved for him. He offered to take my mother with him, so they could stay with one another."

Destiny looked down at the ground, looking like she was about to cry. "She chose to go with him, leaving the rest of us behind."

"My sister, Eve, took charge, but ended up resenting humans, blaming them not only for our mother leaving, but also for anything bad that happened to us. We ended up stealing constantly from the humans, always tricking them for their food and supplies. Not only that, rules were placed. Nobody was allowed to leave, nobody was allowed to evolve, and no one was to question my sister or her decisions."

A few tears fell from Destiny's face, and I felt compassion towards her. "The thing is, these rules weren't placed to keep the others in line, but instead for me. My mother, when she first saw me after I had hatched from my egg, knew that I was destined for more, and thus gave me my name. However, after she had gone with the Growlithe, Eve grew fearful and placed the rules so I would never leave, as she believes that I'm all she has left."

She then looked up at us. "But I'm not. She fails to realize she has everyone else, and that she needs to look after them rather than focus on her hatred for trainers. That's why I need to leave, and I would like to do so with you."

I looked at her surprised, though Drift and Frost seemed to have seen this coming as they just kept watching and waiting for her to continue. "If I help you get your trainer's bag back, do you think I could join you? Please, I need you to help me." Destiny pleaded.

Frost and Drift looked towards me, as if awaiting my decision. I was shocked, but I realized it was probably due to how I had been Jack's first pokemon, and thus held the most authority as Jack wasn't here.

"Ultimately it will be up to Jack, but I'm certain he'd be happy to have you." I said. "But I hope you have a good plan as to how you're going to get that bag out of that cave without raising suspicions." I explained.

Destiny looked ecstatic at my response, and nodded quickly. "It will be easy, I can promise you. Give me five minutes, and I'll be back here with the bag."

I nodded, in which she jumped off into the bushes and away from us.

Turning towards Drift and Frost, I found that they were smiling at me. "That was nice of you Ember. I'm looking forward to having Destiny with us." Drift said.

"I just hope she doesn't just plan on leaving without leaving a note or anything for her sister. If she were to just vanish, it could cause repercussions and lead to her sister blaming us and her hatred for humans to grow even more." Frost said.

Blinking, I realized that that could potentially become an issue. Hopefully that wouldn't happen, though knowing our luck, and Jack's luck more specifically, well…least to say, anything could happen.

"Well...let's go and see what she does then. It'll let us know what she's doing, and in the small chance she betrays us or something goes wrong, we'll know." I said as I approached the bushes.

"She's not going to betray us Ember. Those tears were real, I can assure you." Drift said as she stood beside me, looking out as I pulled a branch back.

Looking out into the clearing once more, I could see Destiny coming out of one of the holes inside the cliff with a roll of paper in her mouth. We watched as she trotted over to the cave where two Eevee were standing, in which she placed the paper down before saying something to them.

A moment later, the two Eevees nodded and began to walk off, in which Destiny walked into the cave after picking up the paper once more.

Minutes passed, but sure enough, Destiny came out dragging the bag behind her. She began walking towards where we were, and none of the Eevees payed her any mind.

We watched surprised as she walked into the bush after we stepped back, in which she dropped the strap of the bag from her mouth and panted. "There...you go. Told you...it would be easy."

"How did you manage to do that without anyone noticing?" Frost asked, looking perplexed.

Destiny smiled at him. "I'm the leader's sister. All I had to do was say that Eve wanted the bag moved, and nobody second guessed me." She sighed, looking a bit sad once more. "One of the few perks of her stern leadership, I suppose."

"What was that paper you were carrying around?" Drift asked before going over and helping Destiny carry the bag.

"It was a note to my sister." She said, looking down. "I couldn't leave without any reasoning. I already had most of it written already, I just had to make a few additions before getting the bag for you."

"Been planning on leaving for a while, huh?" I asked, making Destiny look away. I flinched, realizing I had said the wrong thing. "Sorry about that. Hey, how about we go find our master and introduce him to you, alright? I'm sure he's going to love you."

A small smile appeared on Destiny's face, and she nodded. "Yeah, let's go. And...thank you."

I waved her off as we began to walk away back into the forest, with Frost leading the way back to Jack. "Don't worry about it. We were actually looking for Eevees to see if any wanted to join us. By the way, what do you think of Leafeons?"

Destiny thought for a second as we walked before responding. "They're a good evolution in my opinion. They're great fighters, they look beautiful and are close to nature, and normally their personalities aren't affected by the evolution except for the fact that they become calmer and more confident."

Drift looked at her a bit confused. "What do you mean by their personalities changing?"

Frost looked over to her as we passed a large tree I remember seeing before. "I can explain that actually. Most evolutions affect pokemon to better fit their evolved form, mostly in terms of mental growth, but their personalities can change as well. For instance with the Eevee evolution tree, Umbreon and Espeon become more serious and focused, whereas a Sylveon will be happier and more expressive."

Drift nodded in understanding, though looked concerned about something. "Do you know how you would change Frost? Or how Ember could change? Or how...I could change?"

I could sense what Drift was worried about, but if Frost noticed, he didn't show it as he appeared to be thinking. "Well, from what I know of Alolan Ninetales, I can personally expect to grow some form of ego while still expressing a form of wisdom."

"As for Ember, I don't really know much about Delphox. I believe she'll become wiser as well due to an improvement in her physic abilities, and she should lose some of the temper that she has now."

"What do you mean, temper?" I asked, snorting out a small burst of flame from my mouth.

Frost just gave me a look before turning back towards Drift as Destiny let out a small giggle. "As for Noivern, I have little to no knowledge of them. I know that they are great fliers and can produce powerful supersonic attacks, but that's it. Sorry Drift."

"It's alright." She said, looking mildly relieved. "Maybe it's for the best I don't know, that way I don't have to worry about it."

"You shouldn't have to worry about evolution regardless. It means that you've not only shown growth in power, but also in wisdom. Not all pokemon can evolve by themselves after all, and those that can evolve should be proud of their evolved forms." She sighed once more. "If only my sister could have realized that."

We were quiet for a moment as we walked, each of us in our own thoughts. "So...what's your trainer like? I watched a little bit from the bushes and he seemed nice enough." Destiny said.

"He's one of the nicest humans I've ever met." I said. "He puts others before himself, no matter the circumstances. It usually gets him into trouble, but he always finds a way out of things. He's been through a lot though, and I want to make sure he doesn't get hurt any more." I looked over at Drift and Frost who pressed on with us. "We all do."

Destiny nodded as we walked. "So how can he speak to pokemon then? Like I said, I was watching from the bushes, and I was so confused while he was talking to Eve, which no human has ever done before unless they were saying how adorable she was."

I rubbed the back of my head. "That's...a bit hard to explain, but you should probably know now rather than later. Just keep in mind, you probably won't believe what I'm about to say until you see it for yourself."

"Alright…" Destiny said, and so I told her everything from the beginning. I told her how he was fused with a Zorua, how he saved my life, how he became a hybrid that could speak to pokemon, the effects of pokemon food on him, and ending with why we needed his bag back.

"Um...yeah, I'm going to agree with you when you said that I wasn't going to believe that until I see it. I could believe some of it, I guess, but him turning into a Zorua, a female one at that, seems a bit hard to believe."

"Well, you shouldn't have to wait too much longer. I think we're getting clo-" Frost was cut off as a black and red blur slammed into him, knocking him over and through a bush.

"He was right about not waiting too long." I muttered under my breath before running forward. After going through the bushes, I saw Frost growling at the dazed form of Jack, once more a Zorua. "Stop it! That's Jack! This is what i was telling you about, remember?"

 _ **Line Break**_

 _Back to Jack's perspective…_

I had to admit, I was a bit thrown off by what was happening at the moment. So far, every battle had been just like in the games. Someone would look at me, challenge me to a battle, then use pokemon that could easily be found that were usually about five levels lower than my pokemon.

However, everything about this girl was...different. Her appearance was nothing like any characters in the games that I had seen before, and the fact that she challenged me and decided we needed to battle elsewhere was strange as well.

Then there was the way she acted. So far everyone focused only on the battle, from the moment they met me to the moment I left. This girl was different, as she was treating me more like a friend rather than an opponent.

Everything about her felt...off.

"Alright, this should do." The girl said as we reached a large portion of the dirt path of Route Four. "I'll go over there while you stand here, alright?" She asked after pointing a small way down the path.

"Alright with me." I said, in which she grinned and ran over to her battle position. I turned to my pokemon, who had been following me this whole time. "Alright, we know she has a Rockruff, so she has the type advantage. So Drift, I want you up first. If we use your Z-move, we should be able to take him out without any worries."

Drift looked worried at this. "Are you sure? Don't you remember what happened last time we tried to use it?"

"Yes, and trust me, I'm not about to pull anything that risky again. You don't have to worry about that though. Looking at her, she doesn't have a Z-ring, so that won't be an issue. Just be sure to trust me and we can do this, alright?"

Drift looked down for a moment, before looking up at me with determination. "Alright. Let's do this."

I smiled before looking over to Frost and Destiny. "Alright, Frost, you look after Destiny. Since I haven't officially captured her yet, you two will sit out and observe this battle, alright?"

They both nodded, with Destiny looking excited to see me in action as she whispered over to Frost about how she's never seen an actual battle before.

Finally, I turned to Ember. "You stand to the side and stay ready. She has some kind of flying type, and you'll be the only way I can fight against that."

"Hey, are we going to battle, or are you just going to keep talking to your pokemon?" The girl cried over to me.

I rolled my eyes before turning around to face the girl. "Yes, I'm ready. But before we start, can I at least know your name? It would be easier if I had something to call you rather than "that girl"."

She blushed a little bit out of embarrassment of such a small but crucial part to battling. "My name is Emily." After she said that, a look of determination crossed her face. "Now, let's do this. Go Cliff!" She cried out with her Rockruff jumping forwards into a battle position

I nodded, expecting as much. "Alright, you're up Drift." I said, in which Drift ran forward and faced Cliff, her wings crossed in front of her in a fighting position.

Emily gave me a strange look. "Shouldn't Noibat normally hover in the air? I don't think I've ever seen one walk around like that before? And you realize I have the type advantage, right?"

"I'm perfectly aware." I said as I pressed my hand against my brow in annoyance. "And Drift has a fear of flying, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't put her down by pointing that out."

Emily looked at Drift with a look of regret at what she had just said. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean anything by it, I swear!"

I blinked at this, not expecting a reaction like that, meanwhile Drift waved her off with a small smile showing that she was fine. Emily looked relieved at this right before her determination returned. "Alright, then let's do this! Cliff, use rock throw!"

Having had this attack used on myself before, I was ready for her attack. "Drift, use gust to blast the rocks away!"

Beating her wings quickly, Drift created a strong wind in front of her that slowed and blew the oncoming rocks away from her as quickly as Cliff could grab and throw them.

Emily looked frustrated at this. "Alright Cliff, enough of that. Instead rush forward and use bite before she can get away!"

Cliff nodded as he rushed towards Drift, ready to take her head on as she stopped beating her wings.

Once more, I had prepared for this. Seeing as her Rockruff could use rock throw, he was at least level sixteen. However, that only gave him the one distance attack, the rest being close range attacks.

I waited until he was just at the range before calling out to Drift. "Alright, it's time! Let's do this Drift!"

Emily looked at me in confusion for a moment as I began to dance, but upon spotting my Z-ring, her eyes grew wide. I grinned a little bit at this as I focused my energy into the ring and into Drift, ready for her to use breakneck blitz.

The aura surrounded Drift, and Cliff finally realized what was about to occur as he stopped dead in his tracks. Drift got into position to run, and Cliff looked towards Emily for a command, though I was certain there wasn't anything she could do to get him out of the way in time.

"Cliff, use substitute, quickly!" Emily yelled out.

What.

Right as Drift rushed forwards, a small green plushie appeared in place of Cliff. A moment later, the plushie was sent flying through the air before bursting apart to reveal Cliff who was in a weakened state, though not as badly than he would have been if he had been hit by Drift's attack.

"Phew, that was a close one." Emily said as she wiped sweat away from her forehead. "Now," She said as she quickly straightened herself. "Cliff, use rock throw!"

"Drift, watch out!" I yelled. Drift had been looking around in confusion, wondering what had just happened, but right as she heard my warning, a small rock slammed into her, sending her flying.

"Drift!" I yelled out. Pulling out my pokedex, I saw that that single rock had dealt a lot of damage, placing her in the red already with just one hit.

Time slowed down for me, because I knew I had to make a decision now. I could use a potion, though Drift would still be in danger for powerful hits. The Rockruff was at half health after having used substitute, so using absorb was a possibility as well.

However, Drift would potentially be placed in more pain, and a critical hit would put her out of the fight. She didn't have her trump card the z-move anymore, and using absorb would not only take a lot of time to knock him out with, but it would also leave Drift open as well as give Emily time to heal Cliff herself.

"Alright, you're done for now Drift!" I yelled, throwing my pokeball towards her. The flash was let out and the ball returned to my hand. "You did well. I'll get you healed up as soon as we can."

Looking over, I saw that Emily was using this time to spray Cliff with a potion. "Ember, you're up." I said, in which she nodded before rushing forwards.

She glared at Cliff as he smirked back at her. "I'm going to make you pay for hurting my friend." She growled.

"Good luck with that. Two rocks and you'll be out just as quickly as that little bat." Cliff growled back. Both Ember and I glared at him, and I knew we both felt the same way towards the overconfident rock dog at that moment.

"Alright Cliff, use rock throw, just like before!" Emily yelled out.

Cliff started to grab rocks from the ground with his paws and prepared to throw them at Ember. "Ember, use flame charge to rush past those stones and get close to him." I said.

Ember nodded before covering herself in flames as she rushed forwards. Stone after stone whizzed past her, but none were able to hit her. Those that came close were hit and slowed by the flame, knocking them away as she continued her charge.

"Cliff, use sand attack if she gets too close!" Emily yelled out. Cliff nodded and quickly dug into the ground, creating a pile of sand that he could toss forwards as soon as Ember got too close.

"Ember, keep running around him and use howl as you run!" I yelled. Ember quickly angled her foot and changed direction, now running in a circle around Cliff. The flames around her dissipated as she looked up into the air let loose a howl.

"Cliff, aim ahead of where she's running and use rock throw again!" Cliff nodded and once more prepared to throw more stones.

I was beginning to get tired of this attack, but I was thankful she kept using it, as it gave me plenty of ideas on how to counter it. Ember had howled for about the third time by this time, which would have given her a great attack boost.

"Ember, quickly turn towards the Rockruff and use flame charge!" I shouted out.

Flames once more covered Ember as she made a quick ninety degree turn, with the stone that Cliff had tossed missing her by a large margin.

Ember managed to slam into Cliff, making him cry out and be tossed into the air. "Cliff!" Emily yelled out, but I still wasn't done, as a single fire attack wasn't about to take down a rock type, even with the attack boost.

"Ember, use ember while he's in the air, and once he lands hit him with another flame charge!" I yelled out.

"Cliff, try to recover and use substitute!" Emily shouted, but it was too late. Small flames flew forwards and struck Cliff multiple times, and right as he hit the dirt, he was sent spiraling towards Emily as Ember slammed into him with another flame charge.

Cliff landed in front of Emily, clearly having been knocked out by this point. "Oh Cliff…" Emily said, looking down sadly at her pokemon before returning him to his pokeball.

Emily stood up as she grabbed another pokeball from her belt. "You're not bad, I'll admit. But get ready, because I'm not about to back down now."

"Go, Leaf!" Emily proceeded to throw her pokeball, causing a bright flash of light to be emitted into the area. As the light cleared, I saw an owl appear on the ground, looking up at us to reveal a green tuft of hair and a small bowtie made of leaves.

I was impressed to say the least, as this was the first starter pokemon aside from Ember. However, I wasn't too worried about Emily's Dartrix, as I now held the type advantage.

That wasn't going to cause me to let my guard down though.

"Alright Leaf, use ominous wind!" Emily cried out. I winced, having forgotten that Dartrix could use ghost type moves, which would be effective against Ember.

"Ember, quickly, use...wait, why is your pokemon just standing there?" I asked. Standing in the middle of the battlefield, the Dartrix just stood there, examining the feathers on his wings with a bored expression on his face.

Emily face palmed, looking upset. "Really Leaf, you're still giving me the cold shoulder, even now that we're in a battle of all places?"

In response, Leaf turned his beak away, as if showing how he was upset with her. I could only blink, not exactly sure how to feel about this. Ember, meanwhile, had a look that screamed "really?" written all over it before turning to me.

"Um, use flame charge followed by ember, I suppose." I told Ember, who just ended up shrugging and nodding.

"Don't even bother, I forfeit Leaf." With that, Emily pulled out the pokeball and recalled her Dartrix, bringing him back to her pokeball. "Sadly, I don't have any more pokemon, so you win the match."

"Alright, cool I suppose. But if you don't mind me asking, what was all of that about?" I asked as I pulled out a potion and applied it to Drift's pokeball.

Emily sighed. "Drift got a lot more attitude when he evolved a few days ago, and he's been upset with me since yesterday because I didn't get him his favorite pokemon food. Don't worry about it, I'm sure I'll figure things out with him."

"If you say so." I said as I approached Emily, who proceeded to hand me the money I won from the battle. "Well, if that's that, then I'll be heading back to town, as it's starting to get late. See you later I suppose-"

"Wait!" Emily cried out, making me stop and look at her in confusion. "Because you've defeated me, and you seem like a strong enough trainer, I, Emily Eclipse, will become you traveling battle partner!"

...What?

 _ **Alternate Bad End 1: A Rockruff's Bitch**_

 _This tale takes place after Cliff knotted in Jack's mouth while he was still a Zorua, and is a different way things could have turned out for our adventurer if he did not have luck on his side…_

I couldn't get this Rockruff off of me, not with his whole body weight atop of me and his knot trapped in my mouth. However, if I bit down and moved back the moment he recoiled, then maybe I could…

Either the Rockruff knew I was planning something or he felt my teeth tighten, because I felt one his paws swing down and hit the back of my head, making me suddenly feel dizzy from the impact. "And don't even think of trying anything bitch. My trainer should be here soon, and I'm certain she'll love to have you in our team."

I tried to recover, but the hit must have been a critical hit. By the time my vision fully returned to normal, his member had left my mouth, leaving a trail of seed leaking from my gaping maw. 

Looking up, I saw the Rockruff looking smugly down at me before a rustling could be heard coming from the nearby bushes.

Glancing over revealed a blue haired girl with red highlights and a scar over one eye clad in trainer gear emerging from the bushes. "There you are Cliff...and is that a Zorua?! Quickly, keep them from running while I get out a ball!"

My tired eyes widened, and I knew I needed to escape. Getting up onto my feet, I quickly swung myself around, ready to dart towards the bushes.

However, the moment I took a step forwards, I was knocked over onto my side as a small stone shot towards me and hit me in the side. I cried out before slamming down onto the ground, the last thing I saw before everything went dark being a blue and red sphere hurtling towards me.

 _ **Line Break**_

Everything was black, and I was surrounded by some sort of sensation of floating. _"_ Dusk...where am I? _" I asked, my thoughts seeming to echo throughout the space._

 _"_ You're in a pokeball." _Dusk said, her thoughts echoing back towards me._ "We've been captured, and we're probably being taken to the nearest pokemon center."

 _My eyes widened in the darkness, panic beginning to fill me._ "We have to escape! The others are still back there in the woods, and I can't just leave them there! Besides, I'm not just some Zorua, I'm a human being!"

"The trainer doesn't know that, and the Rockruff probably won't believe you. And escape will be near impossible. Even if you run away, there are trackers in the pokeballs, so she would always be able to find you, more than likely even if you were to change back. You'll have to get her to release you, though I don't see that happening."

"I can figure something out. Maybe if I act like a menace, or attack her pokemon, then-"

"You can't." _Dusk said._ "Haven't you ever seen captured pokemon? How docile they are? Pokeballs give pokemon obedience towards their trainers and party pokemon. You can hate them, sure, but you won't even be able to lift a paw." _Dusk practically growled._

"So...what do we do?" _I asked._

 _Dusk remained silent._

 _ **Line Break**_

 _Two months later…_

"Alright everyone, let's call it a night." Master Emily said before dropping her gear on the ground of the clearing we had entered.

I proceeded to sit next to her bag patiently while she let the others out so she could feed us dinner. In the end, I hadn't been able to escape, though I had tried at first. But as time went on, I began to want to escape less and less, and instead obey and follow my master more.

As my feeling grew, Dusk slowly faded away into the back of my mind. By now I can barely even hear her, and instead only feel obedient thoughts towards Emily instead.

Life isn't so bad with Emily. Sure, I have to battle occasionally, but for the most part she does take care of me, and she's a very kind, if slightly clumsy, master to have.

I do occasionally have glancing thoughts of trying to go back to the others, or of trying to turn back to my old body, but by now I don't see much of a point. I mean, those other pokemon that I befriended were probably fine since they had each other, and I was happy with Emily, so why would I want to go back?

After we had eaten our meals, and Emily went into her tent for the night, I got ready to lay down as well, when I felt something swat my tail. I giggled as I turned around and found the cocky looking face of a Rockruff that I had gotten to know _very well._

At first, I resented Cliff, despising him even for getting me into this. But as I began to accept my life, I began to accept Cliff as well.

That's why I was currently bending forward and letting him mount me from behind.

As his thick puppy prick squeezed past my folds, I let out a gasp of pleasure. As we grew closer, I began to give into the pleasures of my new form, and Cliff was always willing to lend a paw.

Cliff thrusted back and forth into my tight Zorua pussy, a pussy that had been stretched and filled only by him, and was made only to pleasure him. I was his bitch, after all, and I wouldn't dream of offering myself to any other male.

As my folds squeezed him more and more as he thrusted back and forth into me, I could almost feel more and more of my old resistance, along with what was left of Dusk, slipping away. I was a female Zorua, and this strong Rockruff above me was my mate. What more could I ever want?

Cliff proceeded to stuff his knot in and out of me several times in quick succession, making me scream out in pleasure and grip him even tighter than before.

Before he swelled too much, Cliff pulled out of my trembling pussy before turning me around and positioning his prick in front of my face. I eagerly opened my mouth to catch today's cargo, a treat I had grown to look forward to.

As his cum covered my mouth and face, I open my heavy eyelids and looked at Cliff with a face full of lust.

It was time for round two.

 _ **Line Break**_

 _One year later…_

"You two have a good time, alright? And be sure to have lots of fun!" Emily called out from the other side of the fence, before proceeding to walk away.

It had been over a year since I had been caught by Emily, and by now I couldn't even remember my old name even if I wanted to, let alone my old life. Now my life had become fully dedicated to Emily, and her goal to be a strong trainer.

A lot had occurred in the last year. Emily had become an ace trainer, and was recognized as one of the top five strongest trainers in the Alola region apart from the elite four.

While I had aided Emily in her journey, I had evolved as well, becoming a Zoroark. With my evolution came the ability to change into any form I wanted to. However, along with my evolution went the last of my thoughts as Jack the former human, and instead I became Mirror, Emily's Zoroark.

Turning towards Cliff, I grinned at his changes as well. He had evolved one night during one of the middle of our sessions, and had become a mighty Lycanroc in the night time evolution.

"She told us to have fun, so we better get started right away." Cliff said as he rubbed himself up to full mast. I stared hungrily at his dick, as it had grown quite a bit with his evolution, and I always loved the feeling of it filling me to the max.

"Any form you want to see before we get started?" I asked as I bent forward onto the ground, lifting my tail forwards onto my back as I spread my plump ass cheeks apart with my claws.

"Hm...so many choices. I do enjoy when you become a gardevoir. Of course, it would feel better to mate with you if you were a proper Lycanroc bitch…" As Cliff thought over his choices, he began to rub his dick along the crevice of my ass, getting himself ready.

"But today...I think it's finally time to give you my eggs, and so I'll allow you to stay in your current form, my sexy little bitch."

My eyes grew wide as I turned my head around to look at Cliff with pure glee. "Yes Cliff, I'm ready to be your breeding bitch! Please, fill me with your cum so I can carry your eggs!"

Cliff continued to grin before pushing into me , making me gasp out in pleasure as he began to push in and out quickly. However, unlike our past sessions, each thrust was filled with purpose, and I could only pant and moan out in pleasure as we mated for real.

With Cliff's thick dick sliding in and out of me, I knew that this was my true purpose. I wasn't supposed to be some trainer like Emily was. That was silly, since I was a pokemon after all. No, I was meant to be here, underneath Cliff and be bred like the Zoroark bitch I was.

Soon I would be filled with his semen, and I would carry the first of many of his eggs. Our children would be strong, just like their parents, and would carry the strength through many generations along with Emily's grandchildren who would also become well known trainers.

Cliff gave me happiness, and I was glad to have become his bitch.


End file.
